iron bar between the teeth of the
dogs, and thus open their jaws. With the butts of their guns they turned
the remains of the beast on its back, and again a triple vivat smote the
clouds.

"Well?" cried the Assessor, flourishing the barrel of his musket; "well?
how about my little gun? It aims high, does it! Well? how about my little
gun? It is not a large birdie,85 but what a showing it made! That is no
new thing for it either; it never wastes a charge upon the air. It was a
present to me from Prince Sanguszko."

Here he showed a musket which, though small, was of marvellous
workmanship, and began to enumerate its virtues.

"I was running," interrupted the Notary, wiping the sweat from his brow,
"I was running right after the bear; but the Seneschal called out, 'Stay
in your places!' How could I stay there; the bear was making full speed
for the fields, like a hare, farther and farther; finally I lost my breath
and had no hope of catching up; then I looked to the right: he was
standing right there, and the trees were not dense. When I aimed at him, I
thought, 'Hold on, Bruin!' and sure enough, there he lies dead. It's a
fine gun, a real Sagalas; there is the inscription, _Sagalas, London a
Balabanowka_." (A famous Polish smith lived there, who made Polish guns,
but decorated them in English fashion.)

"How's that?" snorted the Assessor, "in the name of a thousand bears! The
idea of your killing it! What rubbish are you talking?"

"Listen," replied the Notary, "this is no court investigation; this is a
hunting party; we will summon all as witnesses."

So a furious brawl arose in the company, some taking the side of the
Assessor and some that of the Notary. No one remembered about Gerwazy, for
all had run in from the sides, and had not noticed what was going on in
front. The Seneschal took the floor:--

"Now at all events there is some reason for a quarrel, for this,
gentlemen, is no worthless rabbit; this is a bear: here one need have no
compunctions about seeking satisfaction, whether it be with the sabre or
even with pistols. It is hard to reconcile your dispute, so according to
the ancient custom we give you our permission for a duel. I remember that
in my time there lived two neighbours, both worthy gentlemen, and of long
descent; they dwelt on opposite sides of the river Wilejka; one was named
Domejko and the other Dowejko.86 They both shot at the same time at a
she-bear; which killed it it was hard to ascer