A POSTPONEMENT OF ACTION. 51 



"Before I could realise what had happened, out 

 came another, then a third, a fourth, a fifth, a sixth, 

 and a seventh. Just think of it, seven big bears in 

 sight all at once ! I think there were four more which 

 I saw, making eleven in all in that band. I knew 

 I was in a most desperate situation. On one hand 

 was a bottomless precipice and on the other a herd of 

 the most ferocious animals which range the moun- 

 tains. How the sweat did roll off of my face ! There 

 was only one thing to do, and I did it to perfection. 

 That was to stand perfectly still and let those bears 

 go about their business. I was hunting bears, but 

 not these particular bears. There I stood in per- 

 fectly plain view of those animals, but they did not 

 see me. They were walking fast, and I had a splen- 

 did opportunity to observe their mode of travel as 

 they passed on. 



"I no longer wondered at my not being able to 

 overtake them on the trail. They went swinging 

 along in a sort of shambling trot or canter almost as 

 fast as the gait of a horse. Some would stop for a 

 second at a time, turning over logs and stones, and 

 then hurry on to overtake the band, which moved 

 right along. 



" As soon as they were out of sight in the woods 

 to the southwest of me, I hastened to assure myself 

 that I was still alive and wiped the sweat from my 

 face. I could easily have put a bullet through any 

 of them, but what would have happened then? I 

 might have been set upon by the whole gang and 

 would not have made a fair meal for one of them. I 

 made haste to get into the woods and tried to head 



