ADVENTUKE WITH A EEAK. 359 



when in rushed one of the men in a great 

 state of excitement, to tell us, that Colls was 

 very ill. 



"We soon, however, made out that he had 

 been in the clutches of an old bear, and had 

 had a most wonderful escape, but had got off 

 witli a bite through the thick part of the 

 thigh, and a nasty long wound just under 

 the knee and down to the bone. It appeared 

 that he and R. were ascending the mountain, 

 and were crawling through a very thick 

 willow-bush, with their men and rifles close 

 behind, when they came upon the fresh 

 trail of a bear, which they, not very "svasely, 

 followed without much caution ; indeed in 

 such ground, the only safe way was, to have 

 gone above, and stoned him out. There is 

 nothing more dangerous than a bear, when 

 suddenly awoke out of his sleep, whether 

 amongst rocks or in forest, and although 

 generally as much alarmed as his disturber, 

 his first impulse is to lay hold of the 

 offender. So it turned out with this fellow. 

 They had not gone far, when Colls came 



