X 
THE BEAR 
383 
Crusoe, he appeared startled by the signs of a foot¬ 
step deeply imprinted in the soil. It was un¬ 
commonly like a large and peculiarly broad human 
foot, but there was no doubt it was a most recent 
track of a bear, and the direction taken would 
lead towards the dense young spruce that we had 
already seen. We followed the track, until we at 
length arrived at the bright green thicket, in which 
we felt sure the bear must be lying down. 
This was an exceedingly awkward place, and 
Bob assured me that if he were alone, he should 
decline to enter such a forest, as it was impossible 
to see a yard ahead, and a bear might spring upon 
you before you knew that it was near. As I had 
a double-barrelled powerful rifle, I of course went 
first, followed by Bob close behind. As noiselessly 
as possible, we pushed through the elastic branches, 
and very slowly followed the track, which was 
now more difficult to distinguish, owing to the close 
proximity of the young trees that overshadowed the 
surface of the ground. 
In this manner we had advanced about a quarter 
of a mile, when a sudden rush was made exactly in 
my front, the young trees were roughly shaken, and 
I jumped forward immediately, to meet or to follow 
the animal, before I could determine what it really 
was. Something between a short roar and a grunt 
proclaimed it to be a bear, and I pushed on as 
fast as I could through the opposing branches ; I 
could neither see nor hear anything. 
Bob Stewart now joined me. “ That’s no good,” 
