THE LAST DAY AT CIIEE-HA. 217 



bear, a large one, stopped and looked me full in the 

 face. A yearling bear followed, and, as if prompted 

 by curiosity, reared himself on his hind legs and 

 looked inquisitively over the shoulder of the leader. 

 I seized the moment when their heads were thus 

 brought in line, and almost in contact, and drew 

 aim directly between the eyes of the larger bear. 

 It occurred to me, at the instant, that my left-hand 

 barrel was charged with shot of unusually largo 

 size, and I accordingly touched the left-hand trig- 

 ger. Instantly the foremost bear disappeared, and 

 the second, uttering a cry of distress, rolled over 

 among the bushes, so as to assure me of its being 

 seriously hurt ; but the glimpse I had of him was 

 so imperfect, that I did not fire my second barrel. 

 Eiding to the spot, imagine my surprise at seeing 

 the large bear motionless, and in the same upright 

 posture which he maintained before I fired ; his 

 head, only, had sunk upon his knees ! He was 

 stone dead ! two shot had pierced his brain. His 

 death, apparently, had been instantaneous and the 

 slight support of a fallen tree, had enabled him to 

 retain a posture by which he yet simulated life! 

 In searching for his wounded companion, I was 

 guided to the edge of the morass by the torn earth 

 and trampled grass ; but there lost all trace of him 

 in the tangled underwood. Diverging a little to 



