about to give him the contents of one barrel, when he was
restrained by the recollection that his ammunition was exceedingly
precious and that the report of the pistol was likely to bring some one
whom he dreaded more than the fiercest wild beasts of the forest. So he
decided to try milder means at first. Accordingly, the endangered lad
tried to see whether the animal could not be frightened away without
really hurting him. Breaking off a piece of bark, he flung it in his
face, giving utterance, at the same time, to a growl as savage as that
of the beast himself. The latter instantly paused, as if puzzled to
understand what it meant, but he did not retreat. He merely stood his
ground and growled back again. Encouraged even by this dubious success,
Ned threw more bark, made more noise, and flung his arms so wildly that
he came very near throwing his revolver out of his grasp into the creek.

But it would not work. The bear was not born in the woods to be
frightened by any such trifles, and, halting for scarcely twenty
seconds, he advanced with the calm deliberation of a brute bent upon
clearing up the mystery without any unnecessary delay. Instead of giving
him the contents of one of the chambers of the revolver, the young
hunter drew back within the hollow of the tree, as a turtle is seen to
retreat within his shell when affrighted at the approach of some enemy.
It was a tight squeeze, but he insinuated himself along the open space
until quite sure that he was beyond the reach of the monster. There he
found he had barely room to use his arms, but, pointing his weapon
toward the opening, he awaited the action of bruin.

There was sufficient moonlight to perceive the opening, but he had
scarcely time to glance at it when it was darkened by the bear, which
thrust its head in with a thunderous growl that made the lad shiver from
head to foot. Certain that it would not do to wait any longer, and
believing that he meant to force his entire body through, the sorely
frightened Ned discharged one barrel squarely in the face of the bear.

This settled matters. The latter had his snout and enough of his head
shoved into the opening to receive a bad wound from the weapon,
discharged within a foot or two of his face. He gave a sort of snarling
howl, and jerked out his feet so suddenly that he must have injured
himself still more by doing so, and, with a relief that can hardly be
understood, Ned heard him clawing hastily along the