68 SPORTING 



seized this with both bands and clambered on a tree, but not 

 without difficulty, as the current was so fierce near the logs 

 that it threatened to sweep me under them, especially when my 

 body was partially out of the water, as it then exercised its full 

 strength on my legs. I reached the barricade, however, in a 

 short time, and on looking- about for my gun saw it safely 

 lodged among the branches. This was a most pleasing sur- 

 prise, as I expected that it was lost in the river, and I hastened 

 to secure it with the utmost celerity. I next essayed to reach 

 the shore, but the branches were so closely entwined that a 

 passage was rendered almost impossible, and I had to take to 

 the water to pass them, holding myself against the current by 

 clinging to the trunks and boughs, and pushing myself 

 forward with one hand at a time, as I was desirous of keeping 

 my gun from getting wet. 



After a toilsome and tedious effort I secured a foothold on 

 the bottom, and crawled out on the bank, shivering, and as 

 exhausted as a half-drowned rat. Undressing promptly, I 

 wrung my clothes as dry as I could, and after taking several 

 good runs in the forest to dispel the chill from which I was 

 suffering, I rehabilitated myself and started towards camp, as 

 1 did not know where to seek for other members of the party, 

 not hearing sounds in any direction ; and, to be candid, my 

 dripping garments took away all the ardour of the chase. 

 Scurrying along as fast as the matted shrubbery would permit 

 me, I was lost to everything but seeking my quarters, when a 

 sudden series of yelps a little to my right startled me into the 

 liveliest state of activity, and into the most intense desire to kill 

 something, if it were only a hare, to appease my disgust at the 

 coiiire-iemps that had befallen me. The canine cries began to 

 approach me gradually, and knowing by their tones that some 

 large game was afoot, I dodged behind a tree and put myself 

 in readiness to give it an unhealthy reception. I was in posi- 

 tion 'only a short time before a large black bear, with mouth 

 open, as if it were suffering from a wound, came tearing through 

 the bushes to leeward ; but, catching my wind, it halted 

 abruptly, sniffed the air for a moment or two, then turned to 



