THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 105 



had come in his sheepskin coat to treat me to a war- 

 dance, or to see what he could pick up ; and so I let 

 my hand fall noiselessly over the side of the couch, 

 upon the box which held my revolver. It was only 

 natural that I should think so, because it is very 

 rarely that any animal, except homo sapiens, moves 

 erect upon its hind legs, or, I may add, gets drunk. 

 But still there was something not human in the 

 movements of this creature, and when it began 

 slowly to climb up one of the apricot -trees in a 

 curious fashion, I could not help exclaiming aloud, 

 " Good heavens ! what have we got now 1 " On 

 this it turned round its long head and gave a fero- 

 cious growl, enabling me both to see and hear that it 

 was one of the great snow-bears which infest the high 

 mountains, but enter seldom and only by stealth the 

 villages. I thought it prudent to make no more re- 

 marks ; and after another warning growl, evidently 

 intended to intimate that it was not going to be 

 balked of its supper, the bear continued up the tree, 

 and commenced feasting on the apricots. As may 

 be supposed, I watched somewhat anxiously for its 

 descent ; and as it came down the trunk, the thought 

 seemed to strike it that a base advantage might be 

 taken of its position, for it halted for an instant and 

 gave another warning growl. It repeated this ma- 

 noeuvre as it passed my tent, on its four legs this 

 time, but otherwise took no notice of me ; and there 

 was a curious sense of perilous wrong-doing about tho 



