MILITAR Y AD VENTURES. 225 



advantage as it either kills the bird stone 

 dead or misses it altogether. 



We still proceed, and presently a large 

 black bear came out of the jungle to see 

 what all this shouting and knocking the 

 trees with sticks meant. He did not 

 appear the least frightened, but gazed on us 

 with stupid curiosity : he was within easy 

 shot of me, so I promptly popped in a 

 bullet just behind the left shoulder, and, 

 before he could turn, I had planted 

 another in his skull ; but I fancy the 

 second bullet glanced off the bone, for in 

 afterwards skinning him, we could not 

 find it. On receiving this unexpected re- 

 ception his whole appearance changed in a 

 second; from being a sleepy, good 

 natured looking animal, he was suddenly 

 transformed into a demon ; his eyes, 

 which before had a mild expression, now 



