1(58 THE HUNTING GROUNDS 



breathless, when Googooloo rushed on her with his 

 bill-hook and endeavoured to attract her attention. 

 Luckily she could not bite at all, as my shot had 

 smashed her snout and lower jaw to pieces ; but 

 she kept me locked in her embrace, and squeezed 

 me more roughly than aflfectionately. 



My head was well protected with a bison-skin 

 cap ; and getting a tight grasp of her fur on each 

 side, with my arms underneath hers, so that she 

 could not do me much injury with her claws, I 

 regularly wrestled with her for some time ; and 

 although I brought my science to play, and threw 

 her on her back several times " by giving her the 

 leg," she never let go her hug, and I was almost 

 suffocated with the quantity of blood and froth that 

 came from her wound and covered my face, beard, 

 and chest, 



Googooloo made frantic hits at her from time to 

 time with his bill-hook, (the only weapon he had, 



having lent T> his knife,) but I ordered him to 



desist, as his blows did not appear to do the bear 

 much harm, and I was afraid of catching one. At 

 last Bruin appeared to be getting weaker, and I saw 

 her wounds and loss of blood were telling; and 

 after a little trouble I managed to draw my knife, 

 and drove it up to the hilt in her body under the 

 armpits. She gave me an ugly hug, and fell over 

 on her side, pulling me with her. It was her last 

 efifort, and I picked myself up quite out of puff, but 

 not much injured, having only received a slight 



