ok at me! It was of large size, flat, and
covered with scales. I gazed at the rattlesnake, and the rattlesnake
gazed at me. What he thought of me I do not know; I thought him a most
hideous monster, and wished him anywhere but where he was. It seemed an
age that I thus lay, not daring even to draw a breath. I felt at last
that I must give up the contest. I prayed for mercy. The oppression on
my chest became almost insupportable. Still I dared not move. The
deadly reptile stretched out its head--slowly it began to uncoil
itself--the dread sound of its rattle struck my ear. I felt that now I
must muster all my nerve and resolution, or be lost; the huge reptile
stretched itself out and slowly crawled on--oh, horror!--it passed
directly over my wounded legs! Not a muscle quivered. I dared not look
up to ascertain whether it was gone. A minute must have elapsed--it
seemed to me a much longer time--and then, and not till then, a shout
reached my ear. It was the voice of Obed. Probably the snake had heard
it, and it was that, I have no doubt, which made him move away under the
belief that I was a dead person, who at all events could do him no harm.
My first impulse was to look round to discover what had become of the
snake. He was nowhere to be seen! My next was to turn my eyes in the
direction whence the shouting proceeded. There I saw Obed rushing along
as fast as his legs could carry him among the trees.

"Be ready with your rifle, Dick," he shouted out at the top of his
voice; "not a moment to lose, man."

I fully expected to see half a dozen red-skins following close at his
heels, and resolved to defend him to the last, and to sell my own life
dearly, although I had to fight on my stumps, when the boughs of the
trees were torn away behind him, and a huge bear appeared, grinning
horribly, in a great rage, and evidently prepared to do mischief to
somebody or something. Had Obed been able to use his arms, he was the
last person to have placed another in danger for the sake of trying to
save himself. Now, however, he had no choice but to run behind me and
the fire. Bruin trotted on, growling angrily. He was one of those
long-headed, small-eyed fellows, with pointed nose, clumsy body, and
smooth, glossy, black hair, which have a fancy for pork and ham, and
will put their paws into a corn bin if they find it open. When he got
near, as he reared up on his hind paws ready for a fight, and came on
towards m