CHAPTER IV.

I FIND A BEAR IN DIFFICULTIES, AND FOSFORUS VERY USEFUL.

VERY restless must have been my sleep; for, being awakened about daybreak by a deep groan, and putting forth my hand to my rifle, I found it was not there. Starting up with alarm, however, I saw that, although I had moved, the rifle was still where I had laid it, near the tree; but, with his hind feet upon the weapon, stood a huge bear, busily engaged at a crevice in the tree, searching for honey, I at first thought. His amusement, however, I soon found, was much less satisfactory to himself. The brute had fallen in with a nest of red ants, which he was busily engaged in cramming into his mouth with one paw, while with the other he tried hard to brush away those insects which adhered to and were stinging and biting his eyelids and lips.

Terrible as was my situation (for I could neither advance nor recede, for fear of calling his attention), the battle was amusing, although the bear seemed to be getting the worst of the con

test; indeed, the truth was, he had "caught a" large family of "tartars."

After the instincts of his tribe in those parts, the bear had been hunting for honey, which is commonly found in the holes of the trees, where the bees build their nests; and having, as he believed, discovered a comb, he had thrust into it his paw, and filled his mouth, alas! not with sweet, but bitter insects, who, in their great rage at the treatment, commenced such a furious attack upon their new lodgment, that the disappointed beast became maddened with rage; yet, as if senseless of the real cause, he still continued to thrust pawful after pawful of the supposed honey into his mouth.

My fears, however, for the safety of May were greater than my satisfaction at the unexpected punishment of the angry thief: but what could I do? to withdraw would bring the brute upon me. A moment's thought, a desperate resolution followed, and, lifting myself gently upwards, I made one spring at my rifle; my foot slipped, and I fell at the feet of the brute, who, instantly turning from his attack upon the ants' nest, had his huge paw upon my breast. The thought flashed through my mind, was such to be the end of my efforts to save my father? No; for, almost simultaneously with the paw touching my breast, a ball passed through the animal's brain. It was a scene for

BOB JEALOUS OF FOSFORUS.

79

an artist. Picture it to yourself: day just dawning, the bear upon his side at his last gasp, with its glassy eye in impotent rage fixed upon me, who, although upon my feet, so tottered with fear, that a feather almost would have capsized me. May, with the paleness of death upon every feature, just stepping forth from the tree, where for some time she must have been watching the beast's movements in terrible suspense. Fosforus, running towards me, followed by Bob, who, as he ran, shook his fist, exclaiming, "By my grandmother's toe, and a little gouty it was, but I would have had you up at the yard-arm, you little baboon, if that ball hadn't found its billet."

“Thank Heaven! God bless you, boy!" said May, wiping the sweat of terror from her brow; "but you are hurt, dear Tom?"

"Nay, May, not so; but a little frightened: which was natural, seeing it was my first fight with a bear, and might have been my last.”

"Every man's frightened when he first goes into action; but, d'ye see, danger's a thing you gets used to, as eels do to being skinned," said Bob; adding, "howsomdever, although I forgives the young varmint for taking such a responsibility upon him (which is agin all orders), as to save your life, Master Tom, that trigger ought to have been pulled by old Bob."

"Tut, tut, old friend, you are jealous! but if