Stepping restlessly from side to side, threatening now with hoof and
now with antlers, he seemed each instant upon the point of a fresh
attack; and the bear, with swaying muzzle and blazing, shifting eyes,
kept following his every motion. Again and again he gathered his
muscles for a fresh charge--but each time he checked himself with a
realization that the body of the slain cow was exactly in his way,
hampering his avoidance of a counter-stroke.

After some minutes of this feinting, the caribou stood still,
deliberating some new move. Instantly the bear, also, became
motionless as a stone. The sudden peace was like a shock of
enchantment, a violent sorcery, and over it the blue-white, flooding
shine of the moonlight seemed to take on some sinister significance.
The seconds lengthened out as a nightmare, till at last the stupendous
stillness was broken by the wild clamour of a loon, far down on the
lake. As the distant cry shrilled up the mountainside, the white bull
stirred, shook his antlers, and blew loudly through his nostril. It
was a note of challenge--but in it the bear divined a growing
hesitancy. Perhaps, after all, this fight, which had gone so sorely
against him, might not have to be fought out! He dropped, whirled
about so quietly one could hardly follow the motion--and in a flash
was up again on his haunches, right paw uplifted, eyes blazing
vigilant defiance. But he had retreated several feet in that swift
manoeuvre! His move was a confusion of defeat--but his attitude was a
warning that he was dangerous in defeat. The bull followed, but only
for a couple of steps, which brought him so that he bestrode the body
of the cow. Here he halted, still threatening; and again the two
confronted each other motionlessly.

This time, however, the spell was broken by the bear himself. Suddenly
he repeated his former manoeuvre; and again turned to face his
adversary. But the bull did not follow. Without a movement he stood,
as if content with his victory. And after a few moments the bear, as
if realizing that the fight was over, flung himself aside from the
trail and went limping off painfully through the bushes, keeping a
watchful eye over his shoulder till he vanished into a bunch of dense
spruce against the mountainside.

[Illustration: "IN A FLASH WAS UP AGAIN ON HIS HAUNCHES."]

The white bull eyed his going proudly. Then he looked down at the torn
and lifeless body between his feet. He had not really taken n