a terrible nuisance to the
village, thought I, if this has been going on all night!

I continued to listen, and the yelping barks of the dogs came with
marvellous distinctness to my ears, indeed, the sound seemed to grow
more distinct. Was the wind rising? the tree-tops against the skyline
seemed to be quiet enough. Surely the brutes--but no! they had been
securely shut up in Michael's stable....

The bear appeared to be listening also; there was gobbling and a pause;
more gobbling and another pause--oh! if he should grow nervous and bolt
before I could get in a shot! A great change came over my feelings
towards those dogs. I had thought them charming animals last night; now,
as I listened to their yelping--it was growing more distinct, not a
doubt of it!--I began to hate them bitterly. They were loose and were
following my track through the forest! The splendid opportunity of
scoring my first bear was trembling in the balance! The sounds came
nearer and nearer. I tried to point my rifle at the dark opaque mass
below me, but it was useless.

Then suddenly came a crisis. The bear had been gobbling less and
listening more--did he mean to bolt? If he moved, I should risk a shot.
Of a sudden there was a moan, a snarl, a shuffle; he had taken fright,
he was off!

Wildly I raised my rifle, I tried to catch a glimpse of him--oh, for a
ray of light! But for the life of me I could not distinguish even his
big body; I could have wept for anger, for in another instant my
opportunity would have gone.

Then came one of the few shocks, really bad ones, from which I have
suffered during a fairly peaceful life; in one instant and without the
slightest warning I became aware that the great brute was climbing my
tree! My tongue was paralysed with horror, I could not even shout; I
endeavoured to point my gun downwards, but the barrel caught against a
bough; I gasped, attempting to shriek. I heard his panting breath close
beneath me; then I felt that his claws had caught the end of my long fur
coat, and all the pent-up horror I felt found vent at last in a shriek
of anguish.

[Illustration: "Three yelping, delighted dogs."]

Apparently this caused Bruin quite as much terror as he had caused me,
for he fell back to the ground like a stone, and since his claws were
attached to my coat, I fell with him. For one horrible moment we rolled
together on the ground--I remember the animal smell of the brute to this
day--and then he was gon