AN ESCAPE. 808 
the hunters turned out on their best horses, and 
by riding in a circle, formed a line which enabled - 
them to approach the bear on all sides. They 
found the animal greedily feasting on the peas, 
and shot him without his apparently caring for 
their approach. We need hardly say the bucket 
was empty. 
The following is taken from Sir John Richard- 
son’s Fauna Boreali Americana: “A party of 
voyagers, who had been employed all day in 
tracking a canoe up the Saskatchewan, had 
seated themselves in the bright light by a fire, 
and were busy in preparing their supper, when 
a large grizzly bear sprung over their canoe, 
that was placed behind them, and seizing one 
of the party by the shoulder, carried him off. 
The rest fled in terror, with the exception of a 
Metis, named Bourapo, who, grasping his gun, 
followed the bear as it was retreating leisurely 
with its prey. He called to his unfortunate 
comrade that he was afraid of hitting him if he 
fired at the bear, but the latter entreated him to 
tire immediately, without hesitation, as the bear 
was squeezing him to death. On this he took a 
deliberate aim and discharged the contents of 
his piece into the body of the bear, which in- 
stantly dropped its prey to pursue Bourapo 
He escaped with difficulty, and the bear ultima- 
tely retired to a thicket, where it was supposed 
