sudden, that I scarce
reloaded my gun, having only time to raise it, and fire, as she came
within reach of the muzzle. I was now made to feel the necessity of a
lesson the Indians had taught me, and which I very rarely
neglected--that is, to think of nothing else before loading it again."

Some years ago, a boy, of New Hampshire, found a very young cub, near
Lake Winnipeg, and carried it home with him. It was fed and brought up
about the house of the boy's father, and became as tame as a dog.

Every day its youthful captor had to go to school at some distance,
and, by degrees, the bear became his daily companion. At first, the
other scholars were shy of the creature's acquaintance; but, ere long,
it became their regular playfellow, and they delighted in sharing with
it the little store of provisions which they brought, for their
sustenance, in small bags. After two years of civilization, however,
the bear wandered to the woods, and did not return. Search was made for
him, but in vain.

Four succeeding years passed away, and, in the interval, changes had
occurred in the school alluded to. An old dame had succeeded to the
ancient master, and a new generation of pupils had taken the place of
the former ones. One very cold, winter day, while the schoolmistress
was busy with her humble lessons, a boy chanced to leave the door half
way open, on his entrance, and, suddenly, a large bear walked in.

The consternation of the old lady, and her boys and girls, was
unspeakable. Both schoolmistress and pupils would fain have been
abroad; but the bear was in the path, and all that could be done was to
fly off, as far as possible, behind the tables and benches. But the
bear troubled nobody. He walked quietly up to the fireplace, and warmed
himself, exhibiting much satisfaction in his countenance during the
process.

He remained thus about a quarter of an hour, and then walked up to the
wall where the provender bags and baskets of the pupils were suspended.
Standing on his hind feet, he took hold of these successively, put his
paws into them, and made free with the bread, fruit, and other
eatables, therein contained. He next tried the schoolmistress's desk,
where some little provisions usually were; but finding it firmly shut,
he went up again to the fire, and, after a few minutes' stay before it,
he walked out by the way he came in.

As soon as the schoolmistress and her pupils had courage to move, the
alarm was given to the ne