d inadequate means of defending it, had thought it prudent to
retire to another post.

"Surely they would not have gone away without leaving some notice for us
behind them, even although they were unable to spare any provisions,
should we arrive here," I said.

"They also probably believed that we were all destroyed," said Alick,
"and would not have thought about us."

"Whether or not, gintlemen, I'll just take the liberty of hunting about,
and seeing if I cannot ferret out some food or other," exclaimed Pat.
"If these bastes of bears haven't broken into the pantry, maybe there
will be a scrap of something or other to stay our stomachs."

Saying this, Pat lighted the end of a piece of pinewood, and set off on
his search. Though we had but little hope of finding anything eatable,
we followed his example, and searched in every nook and corner of the
fort.

Not a particle of food of any description could we find, which confirmed
the opinion Martin had expressed that our friends had been compelled to
desert the fort from the want of provisions. Indeed, when I came to
think of the matter, I did not believe that Mr Meredith could have been
frightened away by fear of an attack from Indians.

As I was returning to the sitting-room across the square, the light from
my torch showed me a dark form creeping along near the stockade. I felt
sure that it was a bear which had not succeeded in making its escape. I
hurried in for my gun, which I had left in the room where Bouncer was
lying down by the fire. My companions were at the time in different
parts of the fort.

I was afraid of calling to them, for fear of frightening the bear; so,
taking my gun in one hand and the torch in the other, I crept forward in
the direction in which I had seen the animal. Again I caught sight of
him attempting to climb up the palisade.

I advanced a few steps. Whether or not he saw me I could not tell.
Marking well the spot, I dropped my torch, and raising my gun to my
shoulder, fired.

By the faint light of the almost expiring torch I saw a huge body fall.

The report of the gun of course quickly brought out the rest of the
party, when, all of us hurrying forward, to our infinite satisfaction we
saw the bear on the ground struggling to get up. My bullet had missed
his head, but broken his shoulder. Alick and Martin immediately fired,
and the bear's struggles ceased.

"Be aisy, gintlemen; he may not be dead afther all," cried Pat,