A BEAR ADVENTURE. 139 



ing down the vines not twenty yards off, ignorant of 

 my presence, but occasionally casting a furtive glance 

 back at his angry assailant, who took precious good 

 care to keep beyond arm's length. Men become cool 

 in such situations, either from association or the power 

 of controlling their feelings. My gun lay at my side 

 loaded with number six ; if Bruin found me out and 

 became aggressive, at close quarters, say eight or ten 

 yards, I was prepared to risk the issue ; if he would 

 only move off a little way, still keeping to windward 

 I thought I might improve my opportunity by substi- 

 tuting a brace of bullets. Under any circumstance 

 my gun would be required, so watching the first op- 

 portunity when the bear's back was turned, I brought 

 my double-barrel close by my side and cocked each lock. 

 Many may laugh when I say I did not feel nervous, but 

 I did not, and remained watching with special pleasure 

 the enjoyment that my foe appeared to take in crunch- 

 ing up whole bunches of the luscious fruit. As he 

 worked farther from me my dog became less demon- 

 strative, only occasionally giving way to a suppressed 

 growl, which his feelings were unable to control. 



First one barrel was unloaded and the heavier mis- 

 sile substituted, then the next underwent the same 

 operation, Bruin being now out of sight, still within 



