WILSON AND THE BARREL. 
321 
legitimate occupant, becoming at once a victim to the 
bear’s voracity, would probably prevent the monster 
from investigating too curiously its contents. It was 
quite a pity that the interposition of the boats prevented 
his putting this ingenious plan into execution. He had 
been regularly done out of a situation, in which the most 
poignant agony of mind and dreary anticipations, would 
have been absolutely required of him. He pictured the 
scene to himself; he—lying fermenting in the barrel— 
like a curious vintage; the bear sniffing querulously 
round it, perhaps cracking it like a cocoa-nut, or ex¬ 
tracting him like a periwinkle! Of these chances he 
had been deprived by the interference of the crew. 
Friends are often injudiciously meddling. 
Although I felt a little vexation that one of us 
should not have had the honour of slaying the bear in 
single combat—which would certainly have been for 
the benefit of his skin,—the unexpected luck of having 
got one at all, made us quite forget our personal disap¬ 
pointment. As for my people, they were beside them¬ 
selves with delight. To have killed a polar bear was 
a great thing,—but to eat him would be a greater 
If artistically dealt with, his carcase would probably. 
Y 
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