do well
to take a few hours of sleep. There was no necessity for going after
the bear until a very late hour--that is, until near morning--for then
the beast would be most likely to be abroad. If they went too soon, and
found him still in his cave, it was not so certain that even the dogs
could prevail on him to turn out. It might be a large cavern. He might
give battle to the dogs inside; and big as they were, they would be
worsted in an encounter of that sort: since a single blow from the paw
of a bear is sufficient to silence the noisiest individual of the canine
kind. The dogs--as the hunter again repeated--should only be used as a
last resource. The other plan promised better; as the bear, once shut
out of his cave, would be compelled to take to the woods. The dogs
could then follow him up by the fresh scent; and unless he should
succeed in finding some other cavern in which to ensconce himself, they
might count upon coming up with him. It was not uncommon for the
Pyrenean bear, when pursued by dogs and men, to take to a tree; and this
would be all that their hearts could desire: since in a tree the bear
would be easily reached by the bullets of their guns. Besides, they
might have a chance, when he returned to his closed cave, to shoot him
down at once; and that would end the matter without further trouble.

It was not necessary to go to the cave until near morning--just early
enough to give them time to close up the entrance, and set themselves in
ambush before day broke. On this account the guide recommended them to
take some sleep. He would answer for it that they should be waked up in
time.

This advice was cheerfully accepted and followed. Even Pouchskin
required repose, after the rough handling he had received at the mouths
of the mules; and he was now quite as ready as his young masters to wrap
himself up in his ample grenadier great-coat, and surrender himself into
the arms of the Pyrenean Morpheus.

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

THE AMBUSCADE.

True to his promise, the izzard-hunter awoke them about an hour before
dawn; and having saddled and bridled their animals, they mounted and
rode off. Among the great tree trunks it was very dark; but the hunter
knew the ground; and, after groping along for half a mile farther, and
somewhat slowly, they arrived at the base of a cliff. Keeping along
this for some distance farther, they came at length to the place of
their destination--the mouth of the