FOKEST LIFE. 129 



lowing his master through all his wiudings, arrived in time to 

 rescue him from a horrible death. 



" I have recovered from my woimds. Bravo is lying at my 

 feet. Who docs not love Bravo ? I am sure I do, and the rascal 

 knows it — don't you, Bravo ? Come here, sir I" 



CHAPTER VI. 



Camp Life. — Winter Evenings. — An Evening in Camp. — Cliaracters. — 

 CiirJ-playing. — A Song. — Collision with wild Beasts. — The unknown An- 

 imal in a Dilemma. — "Indian Devil." — The Aborigines' Terror. — A shock- 

 ing Encounter — The Discovery and Pursuit. — The Bear as an Antagonist 

 — Their thieving Propensities. — A thrilling Scene in the Night. — A des- 

 perate Encounter with three Bears. 



The winter evenings of camp life are too much abridged in 

 length to allow a long season either for repose or amusement, itx 

 consequence of the lateness of the hour in which the men leave 

 work, and the various matters which regularly claim attention. 

 By the time supper is over and the nightly camp-fire built, sleep 

 early invites the laborer to the enjoyment of its soothing influ- 

 ences. And oh ! how sweet is that repose ! The incumbents of 

 downy beds, nestled within the folds of gorgeous drapery, might 

 earnestly but vainly court it. 



Could you take a peep into our snug camp some evening, you 

 might see one of our number, seated perhaps on a stool in the 

 comer, with a huge jack-knife in his hand, up to his knees in 

 whittlings, while he is endeavoring to give shape and proportions 

 to the stick he is cutting to supply the place of a broken ax-han- 

 dle. The teamster might be seen driving a heated " staple," 

 with jingling ring, into a new yoke, which is to supply the place 

 of one " Old Turk" split while attempting, with his mate and 

 F 2 



