OF THE OLD WORLD. 381 



which I came across several trails of red and roe 

 deer, hoijs, wolves, jackals, and foxes, as I was 

 crossing a patch of sand in the dry bed of a stream 

 I perceived the fresh footprints of a bear, which I 

 instantly saw must be a very large one from his 

 long stride and the size of his pngs, niy hand hardly 

 covering them. 



I followed up the trail for some distance, but lost 

 it on some rocky ground, and was making casts in 

 different directions in order to regain it, when some 

 of the Bey's dogs, which had gone on some short 

 distance ahead, gave tongue, and immediately after I 

 heard a sullen roar, followed by four or five drop- 

 ping shots. I sprung upon a boulder of rock and 

 discovered an enormous, dirty, white-looking bear 

 in full pursuit of four or five Abassians, who were 

 running shrieking up the hill-side about two hun- 

 dred yards distant. One of them, in his frantic 

 flight, tripped over a stone, and before he could 

 rise the brute was upon him. Although the hinder- 

 quarters of the animal only were presented to me, 

 I threw up my rifle and let drive ; whether it was 

 that my hand was unsteady that morning, or that I 

 feared hitting the man, I know not, but the first 

 bullet fell short ; the second, however, struck fair, 

 and the bear, with a sharp hoarse cry of pain, 

 quitted the fallen man, and again made after the 

 rest. I reloaded as quickly as possible and ran up 

 towards the wounded man, when I again saw Bruin 

 for a moment, and got a couple of snap-shots at 



