GOLOV1NSKY. 127 



him on the face, and for the time the hapless Tscher- 

 kess passed away from this bear-haunted world to 

 a land of oblivion. On returning to his senses, he 

 was surprised to find no bear, and no bloody 

 wound upon his scalp. Further examination 

 showed him, however, that a bear had stood facing 

 him, and it was probably the gravel thrown up by 

 its hind feet as it slewed round in headlong flight, 

 that had struck Stepan, not stunning him as he 

 supposed, but merely in his weak state frightening 

 him out of his senses. Since then until now my 

 man had only shot at bears from a platform in 

 a tree at night a style of sport extremely free 

 from danger, as, although Bruin can climb, he 

 very rarely if ever attempts to do so in pursuit 

 of a foe. 



Living, as Stepan had lived all his life, in 

 bear-frequented forest lands, he had many a story 

 to tell of ' Michael Michael ovitch,' as the peasants 

 call him. On one occasion he and a friend had 

 observed an apple-tree well laden with fruit, some 

 seven or eight versts from their village in the forest, 

 standing unclaimed of any man, almost sole relic 

 of some once prosperous Tscherkess village. Stepan 

 and his friend, who lived at some little distance, 

 arranged to meet at the tree one morning early, 

 and gather the fruit, to be shared amongst them. 

 Arrived at the tree, Stepan saw some one already 

 engaged throwing the apples down. Thinking his 



