almost
invariably follow a retreating enemy. He also knew that if he stood
where he was, perfectly still, the bear would, get uncomfortable under
his stare, and would retreat from him. But he neither intended to run
away himself nor to allow the bear to do so; he intended to kill it, so
he raised his rifle quickly, "drew a bead," as the hunters express it,
on the bear's heart, and fired.

It immediately dropped on its fore-legs and rushed at him.

"Back, Crusoe, out of the way, pup," shouted Dick, as his favourite was
about to spring forward.

The dog retired, and Dick leaped behind a tree. As the bear passed he
gave it the contents of the second barrel behind the shoulder, which
brought it down, but in another moment it rose and again rushed at him.
Dick had no time to load, neither had he time to spring up the thick
tree beside which he stood, and the rocky nature of the ground out of
which it grew rendered it impossible to dodge round it. His only
resource was flight; but where was he to fly to? If he ran along the
open track, the bear would overtake him in a few seconds; on the right
was a sheer precipice, a hundred feet high; on the left was an
impenetrable thicket. In despair he thought for an instant of clubbing
his rifle and meeting the monster in close conflict; but the utter
hopelessness of such an effort was too apparent to be entertained for a
moment. He glanced up at the overhanging cliffs. There were one or two
rents and projections close above him. In the twinkling of an eye he
sprang up and grasped a ledge of about an inch broad, ten or twelve feet
up, to which he clung while he glanced upward. Another projection was
within reach,--he gained it, and in a few seconds he stood upon a ledge
about twenty feet up the cliff, where he had just room to plant his feet
firmly.

Without waiting to look behind he seized his powder-horn and loaded one
barrel of his rifle; and well was it for him that his early training had
fitted him to do this with rapidity, for the bear dashed up the
precipice after him at once. The first time it missed its hold, and
fell back with a savage growl, but, on the second attempt, it sunk its
long claws into the fissures between the rocks, and ascended steadily
till within a foot of the place where Dick stood.

At this moment Crusoe's obedience gave way before a sense of Dick's
danger. Uttering one of his lion-like roars, he rushed up the precipice
with such violence t