162 SHOOTING, ETC. 



cautiously approached in the direction the sound had 

 come from. Once more it sounded much closer, and I 

 felt more convinced of the animal's presence, but where 

 can the creature be? I had gone only a few yards 

 further when I came to a great hole in the earth. Ah! 

 my friend, I thought, so you are at home, and probably 

 two or three young ones as well. I now quietly 

 retreated, drawing my second barrel, and loading that 

 also with a bullet. At the same time I waved for my 

 companion, who was a few hundred yards away to the 

 left. He soon joined me, and I explained exactly 

 where our bear was, for I now made quite certain of 

 returning in triumph, with a fine skin as a trophy. 

 As soon as he had also loaded with ball, we approached 

 on tiptoe, both ready for a whole troop of bears. The 

 sound now came from under our feet, — we were 

 evidently just over his head, — and he was making 

 for the entrance. I gave my companion a look, in- 

 tended to imply " there he is, look out." We reached 

 the hole, the grass round the edges of which was 

 trodden down and worn. Our guns were at our 

 shoulders, and the muzzles pointing where Bruin's 

 head would appear. His ears did — two rough brown 

 things — within eighteen inches of the muzzle of my 

 gun. I waited for a little bit for his head to follow, 

 and had time enough to calculate that, from the length 



