286 ADVENTURES OF CHAMOIS HUNTERS. 



the great grizzly bear of which you have told us, but still 

 a terrible creature. A peasant near where I resided 

 having lost a cow, and finding the marks which had been 

 made by the animal, as it was drawn into the forest, fol- 

 lowed immediately upon the traces. After walking a long 

 distance, he saw the cow lying upon the ground, half-de- 

 voured. The man was armed with a gun, and accompa- 

 nied by his son a little boy. Feeling assured that the de- 

 predator was not far off, and that he would return to renew 

 his feast, he erected a kind of stage between two trees, for 

 the purpose of fully commanding the spot. Here he took 

 his station, and arranged his weapon for service. In the 

 course of a few hours, Bruin made his appearance, and 

 began to feed from the cow. The peasant fired, and as the 

 smoke cleared away, he saw that the bear had rolled over, 

 as if killed. He then descended from the stage to com- 

 plete his victory, if that should be necessary ; but was im- 

 mediately attacked by the monster in the most furious 

 manner. The boy screamed, ran away, and soon brought a 

 number of peasants, armed with clubs, to the rescue. 

 But before they could force the bear to let the man go, 

 he was quite dead. They bore away the body through 

 the wood. As they went, the wounded bear hung upon 

 their flanks, and made repeated and furious efforts to get 

 his victim once more into his power. When they reached 

 the peasant's cottage and deposited the body on a couch, 



