THE WOUNDED BEAR. 299 



back to the spot where he had first 

 lost us. 



Remaining in the upper part of the Tonse 

 valley for a week, we shot over the most 

 likely -looking spots around us, and had very 

 fair sport. 



Finding bears rather scarce, I went one 

 morning with Wilson, very high up the river, 

 in the hope of finding a Bruin ; and after 

 having looked over a good deal of ground, 

 we at last saw one, leisurely descending the 

 opposite bank. Getting easily within shot 

 of her, as she was standing on the top 

 of a rock, overhanging the stream, she fell 

 backwards into the water, and I thought 

 she was lost, for a few hundred yards 

 below, the river was covered with ice. 

 Revived by her cold bath, she recovered 

 herself, as the stream was hurrying her 

 onwards, and swam to the bank opposite 

 to us. "Wounded through the back as she 

 was, and crippled in the hind quarters, her 

 streng-th was so great, that she swam the 

 roaring torrent ^\^th ease, but, unable to get 



