322 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST. 



should have been either killed, or so dreadfully- 

 crippled that we must have perished miserably in 

 the cave. 



At about a hundred paces from the lair, I stopped 

 to listen again, but could hear nothing. I now called to 

 the others to w^ait for me, and when we came to a more 

 roomy place, which had also been the retreat of a bear, 

 we held a consultation. Old C. thought that the bear 

 had lain down by her dead cubs, and that one of us had 

 better return to the mouth of the cave and fetch another 

 i-ifle, as it was out of the question trying to pass the 

 furious animal to get at mine. However, before at- 

 tempting the long and difficult way back to the entrance, 

 I resolved to creep again to the lair and see if she was 

 not dead, for I could not but think that my ball must 

 have had some effisct. When I got there I could see 

 nothing of her. j\Iy shout brought the others to the 

 spot ; so, advancing a Httle, and examining closely, we 

 saw thick dark blood, and found that, instead of re- 

 turning to her lair, she had taken the left-hand passage. 

 I instantly proceeded to regain my rifle, which I found, 

 covered with blood and shme, about three hundred yards 

 off. I returned as fast as I possibly could, cleaned it, 

 and reloaded, when we all started again for a fresh 

 attack. 



The left-hand passage was as bad as the right ; but 

 luckily the bear had not gone far. We soon reached 

 the place, where, grinding her teeth, she awaited our 

 approach. I halted about eight or nine feet from her, 

 raised myself as high as the space would allow, laid the 

 rifle over my left arm, in which I held the torch, and, 

 seizing the time when her head was quiet for an in- 



