time appointed for their undertaking, they proceeded to one of
the old resorts and regaled most heartily, the sense of liberty after
his confinement raising the bear's spirits to the highest pitch. At
length the time agreed on arrived, and the party, prepared for their
desperate and wicked undertaking, set out.

It has been mentioned in a previous part of this history, that Lord
Greyhound was one of the principal grandees in Caneville, both as
regarded fortune and family, and that he lived in a palace befitting his
condition. A crowd of domestics belonged to his household, but the
Captain was aware that their cribs were remote, and that but little in
the shape of resistance was to be feared from them, should they be
aroused. Still great caution was requisite, for if they did not bite
they could bark, and that would be equally as fatal to their success on
this occasion. The only difficulty to be got over was the vigilance of a
porter who slept below, whose fidelity to his master had been tried on
more than one occasion, although what made such attachment singular in
this instance was the fact that the said porter was one of the feline
tribe,--a cat, in fact, of large dimensions, and peculiarly savage
nature. Bruin, however, took upon himself the task of quieting this
servant and keeping watch below, whilst the others should ransack the
mansion, a place of rendezvous being appointed where they were to meet
in case of alarm.

To avoid suspicion they proceeded alone to the scene of their intended
crime, and, favoured by darkness, they reached it unchallenged. Having
gently tried the fastenings in one or two places, they resolved to make
the attempt at a small door at the back, which seemed the most weakly
guarded. Bruin pushed it first quietly with his huge shoulder, and
finding it gradually yielding, without farther ado he placed his knee
against the lower panel, and, with less noise than might have been
expected, sent the door flying from its fastenings. He was the first to
enter, though the others were close behind; but he had not taken two
steps within the house than he saw, as he thought, two balls of fire on
the floor before him,--it was his last look of worldly things,--for at
the same moment the porter Cat, for it was he, sprang at the huge giant
like a fury, and dug his long and pointed talons into Bruin's eyes. With
a howl so dreadful, so awful in its intense agony and rage, that it
seemed to spring from a supern