BEAK VL'XSUS BAYONET. 213 



tones and in great triumph, and quite regardless of 

 his position as an officer in arrest. ' It's all serene. 

 I've polished him off. Come and have a look at him, 

 he's such a beauty.' 



" Of course the colonel thought it necessary to 

 administer a mild whig to his insubordinate ensign; 

 but there was no special allusion made to the fact 

 that, properly speaking, he ought to be in ' durance 

 vile/ " 



After the two listeners had sufficiently applauded 

 this story, Mackenzie related how, "on one occasion, 

 three officers of his regiment, on detachment duty, 

 had gone after a bear. They had no guns with 

 them, but two provided themselves Avith the mus- 

 kets and bayonets of their men, and the third with 

 a very blunt sword. One of the musketeers got a 

 shot ; but Avhether he missed or wounded was never 

 properly ascertained. However, the bear charged, 

 and was received on the point of the bayonet. The 

 blunt weapon failed to penetrate, but was bent by 

 the force of the shock, and its holder, luckily for 

 him, sent sprawling down the hill. The swordsman 

 no\v came to the rescue, attacked the astonished 

 beast 'en arriere/ and, either taking it by surprise, 

 or astounding it with the suddenness and velocity of 

 his onset, caused its abrupt retreat, while the victor 

 chased it, and belaboured it with his blunt sword as 



