bout to do. Creeping closer, I took, as I thought, a steady
aim, and fired. Unfortunately, however, the bear was only wounded; and
dropping to the ground faster than it had intended, it came towards me,
growling furiously. I retreated slowly, reloading, and shouting to Tim
to come to my assistance. The bear, however, advanced more speedily
than was at all pleasant. Seeing a tree close to me, I stepped behind
it, and again fired. The ball struck the bear; but the animal did not
fall. It stopped, however, for a moment, and bit and scratched at its
wound, giving me time to run behind another tree and again load. Tim
now came running up. The bear was thus exposed to a cross-fire. Tim,
supposing that the next instant the bear would be upon me, fired,
forgetting that his gun was only loaded with small shot. He hit the
animal, but in a way which only made it more furious. On it came,
gnashing its teeth, resolved apparently to have its revenge on me.
Knowing that my life depended upon the result, I took a steady aim at
its chest. I fired, and over it rolled. As the bear was making
desperate efforts to rise, Tim, going up to it, presented his rifle
close to its head, and shot it dead.

"Hurrah!" he shouted; "we've got mate enough now to put strength into us
for a good day's march."

We lost no time in cutting off as much of the bear's flesh as we
required for ourselves and Caesar. We then collected a quantity of
firewood, keeping a look-out for snakes as we did so, and carried it up
to a dry spot away from the pool. Losing no time in making a fire, we
put on some of the meat to cook. I confess, however, that, to satisfy
the cravings of our hunger, we chewed a portion of it without waiting
till it was roasted. By the light of the fire we then constructed a hut
of palmetto leaves, placing Caesar in front to give us warning should
danger approach, for neither Tim nor I was able to watch.

After we had supped, before lying down I gave my powder-horn a shake. A
very small quantity of powder remained. Tim imitated my example, and I
guessed, by the blank look of his countenance, that his stock was
equally reduced.

"It's to be hoped that we'll not be afther wantin' it much, for I am
mightily afraid that I've only got another charge or two remaining. We
may, however, strike the Saint John to-morrow, an' it won't be long
before we fall in with settlers," he observed.

"We have reason to be thankful that we kille