rUKSUED liY A AVOUNDED BEAR. 321 



or rather me, new hopes ; for he had no fear — firstly, 

 because he could not know how near the bear was ; 

 and, secondly, because, as he assured me afterwards, he 

 was so intent on striking a light, that he could think 

 of nothing else. He had also succeeded in turning 

 himself round, and his voice sounded to me like an 

 angel's sons: when he called out that he had found the 

 passage. He had now the advantage of creeping for- 

 wards, while I was still obliged to show front to the 

 bear ; but he gave me a few more splinters of fir, and a 

 light, and we again began our slow retreat towards the 

 entrance. 



As I held the torch forwards, the bear gave a deep 

 growl, gnashed her teeth, and retreated a pace or two, 

 but foUoAved again as soon as she saw that I was re- 

 tiring. Necessity sharpens invention ; I laid a cou- 

 ple of burning sticks crosswise on the ground, and saw, 

 to my inexpressible delight, that she did not venture to 

 pass them. Shuffling back as fast as I could, I heard 

 Jim (young C.) call out to his father to go back, as the 

 bear was coming. No other words were spoken, and 

 indeed the growling came nearer ; the fire had probably 

 gone out on the moist ground, and then she followed us 

 again. 



I now crawled over the place where we had first 

 discovered her, and found out the reason why the cubs 

 had so suddenly ceased their cry. When we stopped, 

 uncertain what to do, old C. had dashed their heads 

 against the rock, and thus most likely saved our lives ; 

 for a cry from the cubs when our torches had gone out, 

 would have enraged the wounded animal so much, 

 that she would certainly have attacked us, and we 



