but found his mangled body six days
afterwards in a small lake, a mile and a half below the dam.

I was much concerned at the fate of my poor young servant, but felt
deeply grateful for my own preservation and that of Fontaine.

A few weeks after my marriage, I was detained one night from home by
business, leaving my wife, her little sister, and a small dog, called
Suffolk--so named by me in honour of my native county--the sole
occupiers of my house, of which the kitchen was still in an unfinished
state, part of the floor only being laid. We, however, had to make use
of it, until I could procure more boards to finish it, which, in those
days, were not very easy to obtain.

In the middle of the night, my wife and her sister were awakened and
dreadfully alarmed by a terrible noise in the kitchen, accompanied by
the sharp barking of the little dog. They were quite sure by the low
growls and the fury of Suffolk, that it was some wild animal, but
whether a bear or wolf they could not tell. Towards morning, this
unwelcome visitor took himself off, to their infinite joy. When I came
home, they told me the story, at which I laughed very heartily, for I
thought their fears had magnified the visit of some neighbour's dog
into a bear, or some other wild beast; but they appeared unconvinced,
being both frightened and positive. My wife declared, that in the
morning she found some of the salt-pork had been abstracted from the
barrel, which stood in one corner of the kitchen, by the savage guest.

Now, I knew very well that master Bruin was fond of fresh pork, and I
thought it possible that he might think the salt an improvement. At all
events, I resolved to be prepared, in case he should pay us a second
visit. Accordingly, before going to bed, I loaded my gun with ball, and
tied Suffolk up in the vicinity of the pork-barrel. At midnight we were
suddenly awakened by the piteous howlings of the poor dog, and by a
noise, as if everything in the room had been violently thrown down. I
jumped out of bed instantly, and seizing my gun, crept cautiously along
the passage, till I came to the kitchen-door, which I threw open,
whereupon some large dark-looking object made a rush for the unfinished
part of the floor. I immediately fired; but it was so dark, and the
beast so quick in its movements, that I had little chance of hitting
him. Whether or not, it had the effect of scaring him so much that he
never resumed his nocturnal visitation. In