26(3 A DANCE IN THE AlE. 



lie is safe, for independently of the double 

 rifle, that rests across my knee, the fall alone 

 from that height, would knock the wind out 

 of his body for some time, and leave him 

 at our mercy ; so we sit quietly to enjoy 

 what the Puharries call the fun. Mark him 

 now! what desperate efforts he makes to 

 swing his hind legs on to the branch, 

 i"esting at intervals, and again and again 

 renewing the attempt ! then, when he finds 

 it is vain, how he looks, first up into the 

 tree, and then down at us, his foes, upon 

 the ground. He is getting tired now, and 

 begins to cry out ; and what more natui-al 

 than that cry ! it tells us as plamly as words 

 could do, the dread of some impending- 

 horror ; another look or two up and down, 

 the gripe is relaxed, and his fall shakes the 

 ground. Surely half liis bones must be 

 broken ? not so ; it takes a good deal to 

 kill a bear ; in a few moments he begins to 

 move, and at last lifts up his head, but a 

 bullet, sent crashing thi-ough his brain, jDuts 

 him out of his misery. 



