to bleed, and captain Lewis who had forgotten
to reload his rifle, was intently watching to see him fall, when he
beheld a large brown bear who was stealing on him unperceived, and was
already within twenty steps. In the first moment of surprise he lifted
his rifle, but remembering instantly that it was not charged, and that
he had not time to reload, he felt that there was no safety but in
flight. It was in the open level plain, not a bush nor a tree within
three hundred yards, the bank of the river sloping and not more than
three feet high, so that there was no possible mode of concealment:
captain Lewis therefore thought of retreating in a quick walk as fast as
the bear advanced towards the nearest tree; but as soon as he turned the
bear ran open mouth and at full speed upon him. Captain Lewis ran about
eighty yards, but finding that the animal gained on him fast, it flashed
on his mind that by getting into the water to such a depth that the bear
would be obliged to attack him swimming, there was still some chance of
his life, he therefore turned short, plunged into the river about waist
deep, and facing about presented the point of his espontoon. The bear
arrived at the water's edge within twenty feet of him, but as soon as he
put himself in this position of defence, he seemed frightened, and
wheeling about, retreated with as much precipitation as he had pursued.
Very glad to be released from this danger, captain Lewis returned to the
shore, and observed him run with great speed, sometimes looking back as
if he expected to be pursued, till he reached the woods. He could not
conceive the cause of the sudden alarm of the bear, but congratulated
himself on his escape when he saw his own track torn to pieces by the
furious animal, and learnt from the whole adventure never to suffer his
rifle to be a moment unloaded. He now resumed his progress in the
direction which the bear had taken towards the western river, and found
it a handsome stream about two hundred yards wide, apparently deep,
with a gentle current; its waters clear, and its banks, which were
formed principally of dark brown and blue clay, are about the same
height as those of the Missouri, that is from three to five feet. What
was singular was that the river does not seem to overflow its banks at
any season, while it might be presumed from its vicinity to the
mountains, that the torrents arising from the melting of the snows,
would sometimes cause it to swell