IN Till': I'AR WEST. 79 



the echo of the report ceased I heard a crashing 1 of the 

 bushes, and this was followed by a painful, vicious growl. 

 Moving forward cautiously, and peering- closely into the 

 shrubbery, I saw the lover of berries stretched on its side 

 and gasping 1 violently, as if in the throes of mortal dis- 

 solution. This induced me to lay down my rifle, and seizing 

 the fallen limb of a tree, which was large, crooked, and 

 unwieldy, I gave bruin a tremendous whack with it on the 

 occiputal region; but no sooner was the blow given than 

 the animal sprang up and charged me. I raised the club 

 to give it a second blow on the head, but the brute not only 

 parried it with its paw, but broke it short in my hand. 

 Being unarmed, I concluded to retreat, and I Hatter myself 

 that I did it in admirable style, for I clambered rapidly 

 over felled trees of large dimensions, leaped the smaller 

 ones, and tore through the thick undergrowth, which lashed 

 my face with incisive sharpness, until, in a short time, I reached 

 a clump of the many-trunked vine-maple, and up one of these 

 I clambered with a speed of which I afterwards felt proud. 



The bear followed close on my track, and from its growls I 

 expected to be in its embraces every moment ; but the wound 

 affected its coursing powers, and I was safe in my perch before 

 it reached the foot. I felt perfectly sate where I was, as the 

 trunk was too small for a bear to climb; and the protruding 

 tongue and deep gasps of my pursuer proved that my leaden 

 pill had sapped the vigour of its frame. Had I been a hero of 

 the chivalric school I might have descended and ended the eon- 

 test by a hand-to-hand encounter, but having scruples about 

 risking my person or my clothes I was content to remain 

 where I was and to shout for aid by yelling " hoo-oo-peo-ee/' 

 which the woods re-echoed many times. In a few minutes 

 though it seemed a long while to me I heard an answeriii"- 



<J <~J O 



call, and, in a short time after, the yelping of the curs. Bruin, 

 on hearing the latter, concluded that the wisest course 

 would be to retreat, and this it did, though slowly and verv 

 laboriously. 



When the dogs passed my prison I descended, and when niv 

 companion arrived I secured his shot-gun and started in pursuit 



