444 
A RECKLESS ACTION. 
up toward the chase, the sight which flashed upon our 
eyes was awful to hehold. 
Lawton was within a few feet of the bear, who still 
urged liis painful flight; but now it was with his gory 
head and flaming, blood-injected eyes half turned with 
threatening rage upon his reckless foe, while the uplifted 
hand and general action of the latter indicated an in- 
tensity of mental excitement bordering upon insanity, 
lie evidently was preparing to seize the retreating mon- 
ster by his long and shaggy wool, and measure his 
strength w^ith the remnant of that which w^e had been 
told could crush the bones of a horse as though they 
were so many dried sticks. 
“ Lawton, you jackass !” shouted the doctor, in a 
voice of frightened strength, “ come back ! Stop ! Don’t 
touch that bear! If he turns, he’ll mash every bone 
in your body. Come backT' 
But he was deaf to every thing like reason. His livid 
face, dishevelled hair, and furious energy of manner 
were terrible to behold as he threw every power of his 
muscular frame into a last long stride upon the retreat- 
ing beast, and brought down his powerful grip into 
the yielding wool. 
A cry of mingled alarm and warning from our scat- 
tered ranks seemed to recall him to his senses. 
As the bear came to a half-halt and turned his blood- 
shot eyes and bared teeth more fully upon him with a 
threatening growl, a flash of reason seemed to illuminate 
his turbid brain and light him to the path of safety, 
lie relinquished his dangerous hold upon the retreat- 
ing monster, who at once resumed his flight with ap- 
