A BEAE AND SODA-WATEB. 207 



most unlikely, are really truer than others received 

 with faith. But I will give you another apropos 

 of the subject we started with, narrow escapes 

 from animals, though I will not vouch for its 

 having any substantial foundation at all. The re- 

 later of it said that he was out bear shooting one 

 day, and had been engaged in following one he had 

 wounded. His people, however, lost the track, and 

 while they were searching for it, or trying to find 

 out something certain regarding the beast's line of 

 retreat, he determined to rest under a tree, and have 

 a sandwich and a glass of brandy and soda-water. 

 He was rather a luxurious sort of fellow, and 

 generally had a bottle or two of soda-water with 

 him cooling in wet cloths. 



" He got hold of his pewter, poured a little 

 brandy into it, and revelled in the anticipation of 

 the cold grateful effervescing drink, and you know 

 how delicious and reviving it is during a hot day's 

 work. Seated, with his pewter mug between his 

 legs, after carefully untwisting the wires which 

 bound the cork, he was gently easing the cork itself 

 out, so as not to lose a drop of the precious liquid. 

 With great care, and with a mouth watering for the 

 drink, he was eyeing the upward progress of the cork, 

 when he was startled by the growling oogh 

 oogh of an angry bear. He was a short fat fellow, 



