Bruin, by Captain Mayne Reid. 

________________________________________________________________________The story told is quite good one, but is rather spoilt by the author'sinsistence on showing how clever he is by calling the animals and plantsthat appear in the story, by their Latin names. 

Two young brothers, the sons of a Russian nobleman, ask their father ifthey may spend a while travelling the world. He agrees, but lays downtwo conditions: one, that they should bring back the skins, in goodcondition, of every species of bear there is; two, that they shouldproceed from east to west, or from west to east, without doubling backon their tracks, except, of course, while actually engaged in the chase. 

The boys, for they are still in their teens, accept the conditions, andset off westward, visiting all sorts of interesting places in Europe andelsewhere, and gathering numerous bearskin trophies on the way. Oddlyenough they never go to Australia, but maybe the Koala bear is not abear, within the definition of the word. 

They take with them an old retired guardsman, Pouchskin, who looks afterthem generally, and takes a lot of the knocks of the journey. Eventually they return home, where the boys are lauded as heroes, and Pouchskin returns to obscurity. ________________________________________________________________________BRUIN, BY CAPTAIN MAYNE REID. 

CHAPTER ONE. 

THE PALACE GRODONOFF. 

On the banks of the Neva, near the great city of Saint Petersburg, stands a splendid palace, known as the Palace Grodonoff. It is theproperty of a Russian nobleman of that name, as it is also his place ofresidence. Were you to drive up to the front gate of this grand palace, you would see a coat-of-arms sculptured in granite over the entrance. In this piece of sculpture, the principal and most striking figure is abear, with the blade of a knife buried in his breast, the haft beingclutched by a human hand! Open the gate, and enter the spaciouscourtyard. Inside, on the right and left, you will observe two livebears--both of chestnut-brown colour, and each of them as big as abuffalo. You cannot fail to notice them, for, ten chances to one, theywill rush towards you with fierce growls; and were it not that a strongchain hinders them from reaching you, you might have reason to repenthaving entered the courtyard of the palace Grodonoff. Look around youin the courtyard and over the different doors that open upon it; youwill again see the crest of the bear, sculptured in stone; you will seeit over the stables, the coach-house, the granary, the kitchens, --everywhere. You may know by all this, that it is the coat-of-arms ofthe Baron Grodonoff, whose crest is a bear with a blade buried in itsbreast, and a human band clutching the haft. 

You will naturally conclude that there is some history connected withthis singular tableau--that it is the commemoration of some deed done bya Grodonoff, entitling him to use the bear as his heraldic device. Thisis quite true; and if you enter the picture-gallery of the palace, youwill there behold the deed more explicitly represented, in a largeoil-painting hung conspicuously in the centre of the wall. The scene ofthis painting is a forest of old trees, whose grey, gnarled trunks standthickly over the ground. There is only a little open space or glade inthe middle; and this is occupied by three figures, two men and a bear. The bear is between the two men; or, rather, one of the men is prostrateupon the ground--where he has been struck down by a blow from Bruin'spaw--while the huge animal stands over him reared up on his hindquarters. The other man is upon his feet, apparently engaged in adesperate wrestle with the fierce brute, and likely to prove theconqueror--as he has already buried the blade of a large hunting-knifein the animal's breast, and directly over the region of its heart. Indeed, the shaggy monster already shows signs of succumbing. His pawhas dropped from the shoulder of his antagonist, his long tongue lollsout, the blood rushes from his mouth and nostrils, and it is evidentthat his strength is fast forsaking him, and that he will soon sinklifeless upon the earth. You will notice that the two men who figure inthe painting are very dissimilar in appearance. Both are young men, andboth are in hunting costume; but so unlike in their dress, that youcould not fancy they followed the same occupation. He upon the groundis richly attired. He wears a tunic of finest green cloth slashed withsable fur on the skirt, collar, and sleeves; his limbs are encased inbreeches of white doeskin; and his boots, reaching nearly to his thighs, are of soft russet leather, ample at the tops. A belt around his waistis richly embroidered; and the hilt of a short hunting-sword, protrudingfrom the sheath, appears chased and studded with jewels. A light plumedhat lies upon the ground near his head--evidently tossed off in thestruggle--and beside it is a boar-spear that has been jerked out of hisfingers as he fell. The whole costume is similar to that used upon thestage--when some young German or Sclavonian prince is represented ashunting the wild boar in the forests of Lithuania. 

In reality it is a prince who is depicted in the group of the galleryGrodonoff--but not a German prince. He is a Russian, and the bear isthe Russian bear. 

The other hunter--he who had given its death-blow to the fiercequadruped--is dressed in a style entirely different. It is the costumeof a fur-hunter--a trapper of sables--and consists of skin coat and cap, with a strong leathern belt round his waist, and rough boots of untannedhide upon his legs and feet. The costume is rude, and bespeaks him apeasant; but his face, as the painter has represented it, is neithercommon nor ill-looking. It is not so handsome as that of the prince:for he would be an unskilful artist--one utterly reckless of his ownfortune--who should paint the features of a peasant as handsome as thoseof a prince. In Russia, as elsewhere, such an imprudent painter wouldbe a _rara avis_ indeed. 

The picture of which we are speaking is the _piece de resistance_ of theGrodonoff gallery. Its size and conspicuous position declare the fact;and the story attached to it will show that it merits the distinction. But for that picture, or rather the scene which it represents, therewould be no Grodonoff gallery--no palace--no baron of the name. Paintings, palace, title, all have their origin in the incident thererepresented--the battle with the bear. 

The story is simple and may be briefly told. As, already stated, heupon his back, hat off, and spear detached from his grasp, is a Russianprince--or rather was one, for at the time when our history commences heis an emperor. He had been hunting the wild boar; and, as often happensto sporting princes, had become separated from his courtier attendants. The enthusiasm of the chase had led him on, into the fastnesses of theforest, where he came suddenly face to face with a bear. Princes havetheir hunter ambition as well as other men; and, in hopes of tailing atrophy, this one attacked the bear with his boar-spear. But the thrustthat might have penetrated the flesh of a wild boar, had no effect uponthe tough thick hide of Bruin. It only irritated him; and as the brownbear will often do, he sprang savagely upon his assailant, and with hishuge paw gave the prince such a "pat" upon the shoulder, as not onlysent the spear shivering from his grasp, but stretched his royalhighness at full length upon the grass. 

Following up his advantage, the bear had bounded forward upon theprostrate body; and, no doubt, in the twinkling of a bedpost would havemade a corpse of it--either squeezing the breath out of it by one of hisformidable "hugs, " or tearing it to pieces with his trenchant teeth. Inanother moment the hope of Russia would have been extinguished; but, just at this crisis, a third figure appeared upon the scene--in theperson of a young hunter--a _real_ one--who had already been in pursuitof the bear, and had tracked him up to the spot. 

On coming upon the ground, the hunter fired his gun; but, seeing thatthe shot was insufficient, he drew his knife and rushed upon the bear. A desperate struggle ensued, in which, as may be already anticipated, the young hunter proved victorious--having succeeded in sheathing hisblade in the heart of the bear, and causing the savage quadruped to"bite the dust. "

Neither the prince nor the peasant came scathless out of the encounter. Both were well scratched; but neither had received any wound of aserious nature; and the amateur hunter rose once more to his feet, conscious of having made a very narrow escape. 

I need not add that the prince was profuse in his expressions ofgratitude to him who had saved his life. The young hunter was not oneof his own party, but a stranger to him, whose home was in the forestwhere the incident occurred. But their acquaintance did not end withthe adventure. The prince became an emperor--the peasant hunter alieutenant in the Imperial Guard, afterwards a captain, a colonel, ageneral, and finally a baron of the empire!

His name?

Grodonoff, --he in whose palace hangs the picture we have described. 

CHAPTER TWO. 

THE BARON GRODONOFF. 

In one of the apartments of the palace Grodonoff, behold its proprietor, the baron himself! He is seated in an old oak chair, with a heavy tableof the same material in front of him. On the table is spread out a mapof the world; and by the side of the chair stands a large terrestrialglobe. Several shelves standing against the wails contain books; andyet the apartment is not a library in the proper sense of the word:rather is it a large oblong saloon; having three of its sides occupiedby spacious glass cases, in which are exhibited objects of naturalhistory, --birds, quadrupeds, reptiles, and insects, --all mounted inproper form and arranged in due order. It is, in fact, a museum, --aprivate collection--made by the baron himself; and the books that fillthe shelves are works relating to natural history alone. 

In a man of military aspect--an old veteran with snow-white hair, andgrand moustaches of like hue--such as he who is seated at the table--youwould scarce expect to meet the lover of a study so pacific in itscharacter as that of natural history? Rather would you look to find himpouring over plans of fortifications, with the pages of Yauban spreadopen before him; or some history detailing the campaigns of Suwarrow, Diebitsch, Paskiewitch or Potemkin? In this instance, however, appearances were deceptive. Though the baron had proved an excellentmilitary officer, and seen service, he was a student of Nature. Hisearly years, spent as a hunter, had begot within him a taste for naturalhistory; which, as soon as the opportunity offered, had become developedby study and research. It was now no longer a predilection, but apassion; and in his retirement nearly the whole of his time was devotedto his favourite study. A vast fortune, which his grateful sovereignhad bestowed upon him, enabled him to command the means for gratifyinghis taste; and the magnificent collection by which he was surroundedgave evidence that no expense was spared in its gratification. 

It was a map and globe of the world that now occupied his attention. Could these have reference to a question of natural history?

In an indirect manner they had, --and what follows will account for theirpresence. 

A hand-bell stood upon the table. The baron rang it; and before itstingling had ceased, the door opened, and a servant entered theapartment. 

"Summon my sons to attend me!"

The servant bowed, and retired. 

A few minutes after, two youths entered the apartment. They appeared tobe of the respective ages of sixteen and eighteen. One, the elder andtaller, was of a darkish complexion, with brown waving hair, and hazeleyes. The expression of his countenance was that of a youth of firm andrather serious character; while the style of his dress, or rather hismanner of wearing it, showed that he was altogether without vanity inmatters of personal appearance. He was handsome withal, having thataristocratic air common to the nobility of Russia. This was Alexis. 

The younger brother differed from him as much as if no kinship existedbetween them. He was more the son of his mother, the baroness; whileAlexis inherited the features and a good deal of the disposition of hisfather. Ivan was a fair-haired lad, with golden locks curling over aforehead of bright blonde complexion, and cheeks that exhibited the hueof the rose. His eyes were of a deep azure-blue--such as is often seenamong the Sclavonic races--and their quick sparkle told that in thebreast of Ivan there beat a heart brimming with bright thoughts, andever ready for mischief and merriment, but without any admixture ofmalice. 

Both approached their father with a serious expression of countenance. That of Alexis bespoke sincerity; while Ivan stole forward with the airof one who had been recently engaged in some sly mischief, and who wasassuming a demure deportment with the design of concealing it. 

A word about these two youths, and the object for which their father hadsummoned them into his presence. They had now been each of them morethan ten years engaged in the study of books, under some of the ablestteachers that Russia could furnish. Their father himself had given muchtime to their instruction; and, of course, an inclination to their mindssimilar to that which characterised his own, but chiefly to the mind ofAlexis. 

The latter had imbibed a fondness for the study of nature, while Ivanwas more given to admire the records of stirring events, with a strong_penchant_ for the splendours of the world, in which he felt longing tobear a part. The nature of the books which had passed through theirhands--a great number of them being books of travel--had begotten withinthese youths a wish to see the world, which, increasing each day, hadgrown into an eager desire. This desire had been often expressed inhints to their father; but at length, in a more formal manner, by meansof a written petition, which the boys, after much deliberation, haddrawn up and presented to him, and which was now seen lying open beforehim upon the table. 

The petition was simply their united request, that their father would beso good as to allow them to travel and see foreign countries--where, andhow, to be left to his wise guidance and discretion. 

It was to receive an answer to this petition, that his sons were nowsummoned into his presence. 

CHAPTER THREE. 

THE SEALED ORDERS. 

"So, my youngsters!" said the baron, directing his glance upon them, "you have a desire to to travel? You wish to see the world, do you?"

"True, papa!" modestly answered Alexis; "our tutor tells us that we aresufficiently educated to go abroad; and, if you have no objection, weshould very much like to make a tour. "

"What! before going to the University!"

"Why, papa! I thought you were not going to send us to the Universityfor some time to come? Did you not say, that a year of travelling wasworth ten at a University?"

"Perhaps I may have said so; but that depends upon _how_ one travels. If you travel merely to amuse yourselves, you may go over all the world, and come back no wiser than when you started! I have known many a manreturn from a circumnavigation of the globe, without bringing with himthe knowledge of a single fact that he might not have obtained at home. You would expect to travel in snug railway-carriages, and comfortablesteam-ships, and sleep in splendid hotels--is that your expectation?"

"Oh no, papa! whatever way you may direct, that will be agreeable tome, " said Alexis. 

"As for me, " rejoined Ivan, "I'm not particular. I can rough it, I'msure. "

There was a little flavour of _bravado_ in the manner of Ivan's speech, that showed he was scarce inclined to the roughing system, and that hemerely assumed the swaggering air, because he had no belief that hewould be called upon to make trial of it. 

"If I permit you to travel, " continued the baron, "where would you liketo go? You, Alexis! to what part of the world would your inclinationlead you?"

"I should like to see the new world of America--its noble rivers, andforests, and mountains. I should certainly visit America, if it wereleft to my choice; but I shall be guided by you, papa, and do as youdirect. "

"You, Ivan?"

"Paris, for me, of all places in the world!" replied Ivan, without anysuspicion that the answer would be displeasing to the father. 

"I might have known so, " muttered the baron, with a slight frownclouding his forehead. 

"O papa!" added Ivan, noticing the shade of displeasure which his answerhad produced; "I don't care particularly about Paris. I'll goanywhere--to America, if Alexis likes it best--_all round the world_ forthat matter. "

"Ha! ha! ha!" laughed the baron; "that sounds better, Ivan; and, sinceyou offer no objection to it, _all round the world you shall go_. "

"Indeed? I'm glad to hear it, " said Alexis. 

"What! visit all the great cities of the world?" exclaimed Ivan, whosemind was evidently occupied with the delights of great cities. 

"_So_" replied his father; "it is just that which I do not intend youshall do. There is a great deal to be learnt in cities, but much thatwould be better not learnt at all. I have no objection to your passingthrough cities--for you must needs do so on your journey--but one of theconditions which I shall prescribe is, that you make stay in no city, longer than you can arrange for getting out of it. It is through_countries_ I wish you to travel--amidst the scenes of nature--and notin towns and cities, where you would see very little more than you canin Saint Petersburg itself. It is Nature I wish you to becomeacquainted with, and you must see it in its most primitive forms. Thereonly can you appreciate Nature in all its sublimity and grandeur. "

"Agreed, papa!" exclaimed both the boys at once. "Which way do you wishus to go?"

"All round the world, as Ivan has suggested. "

"Oh, what a long voyage! I suppose we shall cross the Atlantic, andthen by the isthmus of Panama to the Pacific; or shall we go as Magellanwent, around Cape Horn?"

"Neither way--I wish you to make great journeys by land, rather thanvoyages by sea. The former will be more instructive, though they maycost more time and toil. Remember, my sons! I do not send you forth torisk your lives without a purpose. I have more than one purpose. First, I wish you to complete your studies of natural science, of whichI have taught you the elements. The best school for this is the fieldof Nature herself, which you shall explore in your travels. Secondly, as you both know, I am fond of all natural objects, but especially thosethat have life--the beasts of the field and the birds of the air; theseyou must observe in their native haunts, with their habits and modes ofexistence. You will keep a journal of all facts and events that may beworth noting down, and write out in detail such adventures as may occurto you upon your route, and you think may prove interesting to me toread on your return. I shall provide you with ample means to accomplishyour journey; but no money is to be wasted by idly sojourning in largecities: it must be used only for the necessary expenses of your travels. The emperor has been kind enough to give you a circular letter, whichwill get you funds and such other assistance as you may require from hisagents in all parts of the world. "

"We promise, dear father, strictly to adhere to your instructions. Butwhither do you desire us to go?" Alexis asked the question. 

The baron paused for some time before making reply. Then, drawing fromhis desk a sealed paper, which showed signs of having been but recentlyfolded, he gravely said as he held it towards them--

"In this document you will find the conditions upon which I give youpermission to travel. I do not ask you to agree to them, until you havecarefully examined and reflected upon them. You will therefore retireto your room, read this document over, and, having given its contentsdue consideration, return, and signify whether you accept the terms; forif not, there is to be no travelling. "

"_By the Great Peter_!" whispered Ivan to Alexis, "they will be hardindeed if we don't accept them. "

Alexis took the paper, and both, bowing to their father, retired totheir own apartment. 

The seal was immediately broken and not without some surprise did theyperuse the contents of the document. It was in the form of an epistle, and ran thus:--

"My sons Alexis and Ivan!--You have expressed a desire to travel, andhave requested me to give you my permission. I accede to your request, but only upon the following conditions: You must procure for me a skinof every variety of bear known upon the earth. I do not mean suchvarieties as are termed `accidental, ' arising from albinism or likecircumstances, but every species or variety known to naturalists andacknowledged as `permanent. ' The bears from which these skins are to betaken must be killed in their native haunts, and by your own hands--withno other assistance than that of an attendant whom I shall appoint toaccompany you. In order to accomplish the task which I have imposedupon you, it will be necessary for you to go `round the world;' but Iadd the further condition, that you are to go _only once round it_. In_latitude_, I leave you free to range--from pole to pole, if it soplease you [this was a stretch of liberty at which both boys laughed];but _longitudinally_, no. You must not cross the same meridian twicebefore returning to Saint Petersburg. I do not intend this condition toapply to such traverses as you may be compelled to make, while actuallyengaged in the chase of a bear, or in tracking the animal to his den:only when you are _en route_ upon your journey. You will take yourdeparture from Saint Petersburg, and go east or west, which you please. From the conditions I have imposed upon you, I hope you will have skillenough to discover that a route is traced out for you, and, that, onstarting, you _can_ follow it either eastward or westward. This, withall matters relating to your means and mode of travelling, I leave toyour own choice; and I trust that the practical education you havereceived will enable you to make your tour with proper judgment. [`Tour, indeed!' exclaimed Ivan. ] Once out of my palace, I take nofarther charge of you. You may be some years older before I see youagain; but I trust the time will not be mis-spent; and that upon yourreturn you may be able to give a proper account of yourselves, is theearnest hope and wish of your affectionate father, Michael Grodonoff. "

CHAPTER FOUR. 

DISCUSSING THE CONDITIONS. 

The two youths were no little astonished by the contents of thissingular epistle; but, for all that, the terms imposed did not seem tothem either harsh or unreasonable, and they were only too pleased toaccede to them. They partly guessed their father's motive. They knewthat he loved both of them with a true paternal love; but his affectionwas not of that kind to pet and pamper them within the precincts of hisluxurious palace. He had a different idea of what would be beneficialto their future interests. He believed in the education which isacquired in the rude school of toil and travel, more than in thebook-lore of classic universities; and he was determined that theyshould have a full measure of this sort of training. He had resolvedthat they _should_ see the world; not according to the ordinaryunderstanding of this hackneyed phrase--not the world of towns and greatcities, with their empty shows and vices--but the _world of Nature_;and, in order that they should have the opportunity of becomingthoroughly acquainted with this sort of world, he had traced out forthem a route that would lead them into its very wildest scenes, anddisclose to them its rarest and most primitive forms. 

"By my word, brother!" exclaimed Ivan as soon as Alexis had finishedreading the letter, "we shall have travelling to our hearts' content. Certainly, papa has adopted a strange plan to keep us out of the wallsof great cities. "

"Yes, " quietly answered Alexis; "there are not many cities where bearsabound. "

"Such strange conditions!" added Ivan, "I wonder what father can mean byimposing them upon us. "

"Indeed, I hardly know myself. One thing only seems to explain it. "

"What is that, brother?"

"You are aware, Ivan, of the interest that papa takes in all mattersrelating to bears. As people say, it is almost a mania with him. "

"Oh! the great picture in the gallery will account for that, " said Ivan, laughing. "But for a _bear_, you know, our papa would never have been a_baron_. "

"True: that may have been what first led him to take an interest inthese animals. "

"And yet to impose upon us these queer conditions!" continued Ivan; "itcertainly does seem a little eccentric?"

"No doubt papa has his purpose, " said Alexis. "Who knows that he maynot be intending to write a _monograph_ of the bears; and it is for thishe wishes to have full set of their skins--the complete costume of eachindividual member of Monsieur Bruin's family? Well, we must do ourbest, and procure them for him. It is not for us to inquire into themotives of our dear father. It is our duty to obey his orders--eventhough the task be ever so irksome or difficult. "

"Oh, certainly, brother! I admit that; and I am ready to yieldobedience and perform any task dear papa may think proper to impose onus. "

Certainly there was some reason for the surprise with which the youthshad read the letter. Its contents might have appeared still morewhimsical to them, had it not been their father that had written it;and, but for the fact that he had already given them a thorough trainingin the natural sciences, they would have found it difficult, if notaltogether impossible, to carry out his instructions. A bear of everyknown variety was to be killed and skinned--killed, too, in its ownhaunts and by their own hands; which, of course, meant that they were tovisit every country where bears are to be found, and obtain a skin ofeach kind. Notwithstanding their youth both boys were skilled hunters, and excellent marksmen. Himself brought up to the calling, their fatherhad early initiated them into the hunter's craft; and, in addition tothe knowledge of natural history, which he had imparted, he had taughtthem habits of self-reliance--such as are only acquired by ordinaryindividuals at the full age of manhood. Both were already inured tosuch perils and hardships as are incidental to a hunter's life; bothcould endure to go a day or two without food or drink--could sleep inthe open air, with no other tent than the canopy of heaven, and no othercouch than the grassy covering of the earth. All this sort ofexperience they had already gone through, in the cold climate of theirown country; and it was not likely they would meet with one much morerigorous anywhere on the earth. The young Grodonoffs had been submittedto a training of almost Spartan severity--a perfect _Cyropoedia_--anddreaded neither hardships nor dangers. They were just the youths tocarry out that singular programme which had been traced for them by thepaternal hand. 

Was it possible, however to do so? This was their first query. Therewere some very nice points in that brief chapter of instructions. _Latitudinally_ they might traverse as circumstances required, but not_longitudinally_. Under these limitations would it be possible to visitthe haunts of all the bears, --to cover, as it were, the whole area ofBruin's geographical distribution?

That it was possible might be inferred, from the fact of their fatherhaving issued the orders; but it was necessary for the youngexpeditionists to set out with caution: else might they take a wrongroute, and be altogether unable to fulfil his injunctions. They must_not twice cross the same meridian_. It was this quaint condition thatpuzzled them, and rendered it necessary to guard against making a falsestart. 

Lucky it was that Alexis was an accomplished zoologist, and thoroughlyunderstood the geographical distribution of the genus _ursus_. But forthis knowledge, they would certainly have been puzzled as to the routethey were to take. 

"Well, brother Ivan!" said Alexis with a smile, "had these orders beenissued when the great Swede published his _Systema Naturae_, our taskwould have been easily accomplished. How far do you suppose our travelsneed to have extended?"

"I don't quite comprehend you, Alexis. How far?"

"Why, simply into the courtyard of our palace. It would have been onlynecessary to kill and skin one of the great bears chained by the gate, and that would have fulfilled all the conditions papa has imposed uponus. "

"And yet, I don't understand you, " rejoined Ivan, with a puzzled look. 

"How obtuse you are, brother! Read the letter again; note well itsterms!"

"Well, I understand them. We are to travel on, and not come home againtill we have killed a bear of every variety known. "

"There--just so. Of course papa means every variety known tonaturalists, --that is, to the `scientific world, ' as it is termed. Nowyou comprehend my meaning?"

"Oh, yes!" answered Ivan; "you mean that when Linnaeus published his`System of Nature, ' only our own brown bear of Europe was known tonaturalists?"

"Precisely so--only the _ursus arctos_; and consequently we should havehad but a very short journey to make, compared with what is before usnow. It is true that previous to his death, the Swedish naturalist hadmade the acquaintance of the `Polar' bear (_ursus maritimus_); but, strange enough, he regarded this as a mere variety of the _ursusarctos_--an error that one may wonder Linnaeus could have made. 

"Oh, they are very different. I could tell that myself. To say nothingof the colour, they are unlike in shape; and, as everybody knows, theirhabits are very dissimilar. Why, one lives in forests, and feedschiefly upon fruits; while the other dwells amidst fields of snow andice, and subsists almost exclusively on flesh, or fish. Variety, indeed! no, they are surely different species. "

"Undoubtedly, " answered Alexis; "but we shall have an opportunity ofcomparing them hereafter. For the present we must drop the subject, andfind out the route of travel which papa has traced out for us. "

"But he has not indicated any route--has he? He gives us permission togo where we please, so long as we get the bearskins, and do not returnupon our meridian. We are not to take the _backtrack_--ha! ha! ha!"

"Of course not; but you will find, to avoid doing this, we shall have togo by a definite course, and can take no other. "

"By my word! brother, I don't see what you mean. I shall trust all toyou: so take me where you please--which way, then?"

"Ah! that has yet to be determined. I cannot tell myself; and it willtake me some time before I can make quite sure as to what direction weare to take on starting out--whether east, west, north, or south. Itwill be necessary for me to examine a map of the world, and trace outthe boundaries of the different countries in which King Bruin holdssovereignty. "

"Ah! that will be an interesting lesson for me. Here is the map; let mespread it out, and do what I can to assist you in finding our way. "

As Ivan said this, he drew a large travelling map of the world from itscase, and opening it out, laid it upon the table. Both the youths satdown; and, running their eyes over the chart, proceeded to discuss thedirection which, by the conditions imposed upon them, they mustnecessarily take. 

CHAPTER FIVE. 

TRACING THE ROUTE. 

"In the first place, " said Alexis, "there is the brown bear (_ursusarctos_). Him we might find in many parts of our own country--since heis emphatically our `Russian bear'; but there is also a black bear, which some naturalists say is a variety of the _ursus arctos_, whileothers believe it to be a separate species, having given to it thespecific name of _ursus niger_--_ursus ator_ it is sometimes called. Now, whether it be a species or only a variety, we must get a skin of itall the same--since papa has definitely expressed it so. "

"This black bear is to be found in our own northern forests, is it not?"

"Yes; it has been observed there; but more frequently in the mountainsof Scandinavia: and, as we might wander through all the north of Russiawithout finding one, our best plan will be to proceed at once to Norwayor Lapland. There we shall be certain also of finding the brown bear, and thus kill two birds with one stone. "

"Say Lapland: I should like to see the little Laps, but where next? ToNorth America, I suppose?"

"By no means. There is a bear in the Pyrenees, and other mountains ofSpain--in the Asturias especially. It is also deemed by mostnaturalists to be only a variety of the _ursus arctos_, but it iscertainly a distinct species; and papa thinks so. Some naturalistswould have it that there are only three or four distinct species in thewhole world. They might just as well say there was but _one_. I thinkit better to follow papa's views upon this subject, and regard all thosebears which have permanent marks of distinction--whether it be in size, colour, or otherwise--as being so many separate species, however muchthey may approximate in habits or disposition. Why, some naturalistseven call the American black bear merely a variety of our brown; and, asI said a moment ago, Linnaeus himself believed the Polar to be the samespecies. This is now known to be an erroneous theory. Since papa hasgiven as much time to the study of the bears as perhaps any one else, Ishall follow his theory, and regard the Spanish bear (_ursus pyrenaicus_it is called) a distinct species. "

"You propose, then, to go next to Spain, and kill the Spanish bear?"

"We _must_. Having started in a westerly course by going to Lapland, wemust keep on in that direction. "

"But how about the white bear of the Alps?"

"You mean the _ursus albus_ of Lesson?"

"Yes. To reach the Alps, where it is said to be found, we should haveto recross a meridian of longitude?"

"We should, if there were such an animal to be found in the Alps; butthere is not. The white bear of Buffon and Lesson (_ursus albus_) wasonly a mere accidental variety or _albino_ of the brown bear; and papadoes not mean that we should collect the skins of such as these. He hassaid so. Indeed, Ivan, were that task imposed on us, we should both beold men before we could complete it, and return home again. It is onlythe skins of the _permanent_ varieties we are to procure, and thereforethe _ursus albus_ is scratched out of our list. "

"Out with him then! where go we next? To North America, then no doubt?"

"No. "

"Perhaps to Africa?"

"No. "

"Are there no bears in Africa?"

"That is a disputed point among writers, and has been so since the daysof Pliny. Bears are mentioned as having been exhibited in the Romancircus, under the name of _Numidian_ bears; and Herodotus, Virgil, Juvenal, and Martial all mention _Libyan_ bears in their writings. Pliny, however, stoutly denies that there were any of these animals inAfrica; but it must be remembered that he equally denies that stags, goats, and boars existed on the African continent: therefore hisstatement about the non-existence of the Numidian bears is not worth astraw. Strange enough, the point is as much disputed now as in the daysof Pliny. The English traveller Bruce, states positively that there areno bears in Africa. Another English traveller to Abyssinia, Salt, makesno mention of them; while the German, Ehrenberg, says that he has seenthem in the mountains of Abyssinia, and heard of them also in ArabiaFelix! Several French and English travellers (Dapper, Shaw, Poncet, andPoiret), bear testimony to the existence of bears in different parts ofAfrica--in Nubia, Babur, and Congo. In the Atlas mountains, betweenAlgiers and Morocco, according to Poiret, bears are common enough; andthis writer even gives some details as to their habits. He says thatthey are exceedingly fierce and carnivorous, and that the Arabs believethey can lift stones in their paws and fling them at those who may be inpursuit of them! He relates that an Arab hunter brought him the skin ofone of those bears; and also showed him a wound in his leg, which he hadreceived by the animal having launched a stone at him while he waspursuing it! Monsieur Poiret, however, does not vouch for the truth ofthe stone-throwing, though he stoutly maintains the existence of Africanbears. "

"What does papa think about it?" inquired Ivan. 

"That there are bears in Africa--perhaps in all the mountainous parts ofAfrica--but certainly in the Atlas and Tetuan ranges. Indeed, anEnglish traveller of veracity has put the question beyond a doubt, bygiving some points in the description of these African bears. Naturalists thought that if such an animal existed in Africa, it wouldbe the same species as the Syrian; but although the bears reported inthe Arabian and Abyssinian mountains are likely enough to be of thatspecies, those of the Atlas are evidently not only distinct from theSyrian bear, but from all other known kinds. One that was killed nearTetuan, about twenty-five miles from the Atlas mountains, was a female, and less in size than the American black bear. It was black also, orrather brownish black, and without any white marking about the muzzle, but under the belly its fur was of a reddish orange. The hair wasshaggy and four or five inches long, while the snout, toes, and clawswere all shorter than in the American black bear, and the body was ofthicker and stouter make. The Englishman had learnt something of itshabits too. The Arabs said it was rarely met with near Tetuan; that itfed on roots, acorns, and fruits, but was only an indifferent climber. Indeed it would be very improbable, " continued Alexis, "that the greatranges of the Atlas and Abyssinian mountains should be without thesemammalia, since they exist in nearly all the other mountains of theglobe. Moreover, it should be remembered that it is only a few yearssince the bears of the Himalayas, of the Great Andes of America, andthose of the East-Indian islands--and even the bear of Mount Lebanon--became known to the scientific world. Why, then, should there not be aspecies in Africa--perhaps more than one--though civilised people areyet unacquainted with it?"

"But you say we are not going to Africa?"

"No; our instructions relate only to every variety of bear known tonaturalists; and the African bear does not come under this category--since it has not yet been described by any naturalist. For that reasonwe shall have no errand into Africa. "

"Then, surely North America is our next stage?"

"Certainly not--you are aware that there is a South American bear. "

"Yes, the `spectacled bear, ' as he is called. "

"Just so--the _ursus ornatus_. I think we shall find two species inSouth America, though that is also a disputed point. "

"Well, brother, what if we should?"

"Why, both will be found in the Andes of Chili and Peru, and not in theeastern parts of South America. "

"And how should that affect our route of travel?"

"Very essentially indeed. Were we to go first to North America, weshould find no less than five species, or four species and onewell-marked variety. To reach the native haunt of one of these--I meanthe grizzly (_ursus ferox_)--we should have to go farther west than anypart of the South American Andes: how, then, could we afterwards reachthe spectacled bear without doubling back on our meridian?"

"True, brother--I see that, by looking on the map. You propose, then, steering first to South America, and afterwards to the northern divisionof the American continent?"

"We are compelled to do so, by the very nature of our contract. Havingprocured the skins of _ursus ornatus_ and another variety we shall findin the Andes, we can then travel almost due north. On the Mississippiwe shall be able to pick up a skin of the American black bear (_ursusamericanus_), and by the help of the Hudson's Bay _voyageurs_ we shallreach the shores of the great gulf in which that territory takes itsname. There the `polar bear' (_ursus maritimus_) can be found. Fartherwestward and northward we may hope to capture the `barren ground bear, 'which the English traveller Sir John Richardson thinks is only a varietyof our European brown bear, but which papa--and good reasons he has--believes to be nothing of the kind. Crossing the Rocky Mountains, weshall be able, I hope, to knock over the famed and formidable grizzly(_ursus ferox_), and in Oregon, or British Columbia, we shall strip hishide from the `cinnamon bear' (_ursus cinnamonus_), believed to be avariety of the American black. That will finish with the bears ofAmerica. "

"Asia next, I suppose?"

"Yes, straight across to Kamschatka. There we shall meet with the`Siberian, ' or `collared bear' (_ursus collaris_). Of these, twovarieties are said to exist, one of which, specified by the name _ursussibiricus_, is also found in Lapland and Siberia. "

"Go on, brother! Where next?"

"From Kamschatka we shall make a long traverse to the south-west. Ourbest hunting-ground will be Borneo. "

"Ah! the beautiful little bear with the orange-coloured breast!"

"Yes; that is the `Bornean bear' (_ursus euryspilus_), or `Bruang, ' ashe is called by the Malays. "

"But there is another Bruang?"

"Yes--the `Malayan sun-bear' (_ursus malagenus_). This we shallencounter in Sumatra or Java, whichever we choose to visit. "

"Well, the list is much larger than I expected; certainly it has beenwonderfully lengthened since the days of the good old Linnaeus. "

"We have not reached the end yet. "

"Where next, brother?"

"Up the Bay of Bengal, and on to the Himalayas. First in the foot-hillsof these mountains we shall have to search for the curious `sloth bear, 'or `juggler's bear' (_ours de jongleurs_) as the French writers termhim. He is the _ursus labiatus_ of naturalists; and we may find him inthe plains of India, before reaching the Himalayas. Having skinned him, we shall proceed to climb the great mountains, and higher up we arecertain to come across the `Thibet bear' (_ursus thibetanus_)--by somevery erroneously described as being one of the numerous varieties of theEuropean brown bear! Still higher up we shall, I hope, have the goodluck to encounter and kill a specimen of the `Isabella bear' (_ursusisabelinus_), so called from his colour, but termed by Anglo-Indiansportsmen the `snow bear, ' because he frequents the declivities near thesnow-line of these stupendous mountains. "

"That is all, is it not?"

"_No_, Ivan--one more, and that will be the last. "

"What is he?"

"The `Syrian' (_ursus syriacus_); and though the last in our catalogue, this is the very first on record: for they were bears of this speciesthat came out of the wood and `tare forty and two' of the mockers of theprophet Elisha. We shall have to visit Syria, to procure a skin of the_ursus syriacus_. "

"Well, I hope their ferociousness has been tamed down since Elisha'stime, else we may stand a fair chance of being served in a similarfashion. "

"No doubt we shall have many a scratch before we encounter the bears ofMount Lebanon. When we have obtained a robe from one of them, therewill be nothing more for us to do but take the most direct route home. We shall then have gone _once round the world_. "

"Ah, that we shall!" said Ivan, laughing; "and all over it too. GreatCzar! I think by the time we have captured one of Elisha's bears, weshall have had a surfeit of travel. "

"No doubt of it; but now, brother, that we know where we are going, letus waste no more time, but signify our acceptance of the conditions, andbe off at once. "

"Agreed, " said Ivan; and both returning into the presence of the baron, announced their readiness to take the road. 

"Are we to travel alone, papa?" inquired Ivan; "I think you spoke of anattendant?"

"Yes, one attendant. You must not be encumbered with too many servantsto wait upon you. One will be quite sufficient. "

"Who is it to be?" asked Ivan. 

The baron rang the bell, and a servant entered. 

"Send Corporal Pouchskin to me!"

Shortly after, the door reopened, and a man of about fifty appeared. The tall well-balanced form and erect attitude--the close-cropped hairand enormous grizzled moustache--combined with great gravity offeatures, denoted a veteran of the Imperial Guard, --one of those grandand redoubtable soldiers who have seen service in the presence of anemperor. Though no longer wearing the military uniform, but dressedsomewhat as a park or game keeper, the silent salute and attitude of"attention" were sufficiently indicative of the profession whichPouchskin had followed: for it was the veritable Pouchskin who hadentered the apartment. He said not a word, nor did he look either tothe right or left, --only directly forward, and at the baron. 

"Corporal Pouchskin!"

"General!"

"I wish you to make a journey. "

"I am ready. "

"Not quite, corporal. I will give you an hour to prepare. "

"Where does the general wish me to go?"

"Round the world. "

"Half an hour will suffice. "

"So much the better, then. Prepare to start in half an hour. "

Pouchskin bowed and retired. 

CHAPTER SIX. 

TO THE TORNEA. 

We shall not detail the parting interview between the Baron Grodonoffand his sons; there was the usual interchange of affectionateexpressions, with as much feeling as is common on such occasions. Neither need we relate the ordinary incidents of travel which befell ourexpeditionists, on their way to the mountains of Lapland. Suffice it tosay that they journeyed by post from Saint Petersburg direct to Tornea, at the head of the Great Bothnian Gulf. Thence they proceeded northwardup this river Tornea--till they had reached the mountainous region inwhich this stream takes its rise. They were amply furnished with themeans of travelling in the most expeditious manner, and were notencumbered with any great amount of luggage. A bag of roubles, whichPouchskin carried in a safe pocket, proved the most convenient articlethey could have taken along with them; since it enabled them to supplytheir wants from day to day, without troubling themselves with anycumbersome baggage. There are few parts of the world in which readymoney will not command the necessaries of life; and as this was all ourhunters cared for, they had no difficulty in obtaining supplies--even inthe remote regions of uncivilised Lapland. The wild, half-savage Lapperfectly comprehends the value of a coin; and will exchange for it hisreindeer flesh and milk, or anything else that may be asked from him. Our young hunters therefore travelled lightly--with little else in theshape of baggage than a pair of knapsacks which they carried on theirbacks, and which contained only a change or two of linen, and suchtoilet articles as were absolutely necessary to their comfort. Aknapsack of much larger dimensions formed the chief care of Pouchskin;and although this, with its contents, would have been a heavy load foran ordinary man, the veteran of the Imperial Guard thought no more of itthan if it had been a bag of feathers. Each in addition carried anample fur cloak; which, on the march, was folded up and strapped totheir backs on top of the knapsack, but at night was wrapped aroundtheir bodies, and served both as bed and bedclothes. All three werearmed and equipped, in the most substantial manner. They carried guns, though differing in kind. The piece of Alexis was a handsome Jagerrifle; Ivan's was a double-barrelled shot-gun or fowling-piece; whilePouchskin balanced over his shoulder an immense fusil, the bullet ofwhich weighed a good ounce avoirdupois. All were provided with a knifeof one fashion or another. 

In such guise did our young hunters enter the mountains of Lapland; andcommence their search after the "old man in the fur coat, " as theLaplanders term the bear. 

They had taken proper measures to secure success. They had secured theservices of a guide, who engaged to conduct them to a district wherebears existed in great plenty, and where he himself lived in a statealmost as savage as the bears--for he was a true Laplander and lived ina tent in the very heart of the mountains. He was one of those who hadno reindeer; and was therefore forced to depend on the chase for hissubsistence. He trapped the ermine and beaver--killed the wild reindeerwhen he could--spent his whole life in battling with wolves and bears;and with the skins of these animals--which he sold to the fur-traders--he was able to supply himself with the few necessaries which such astate of existence called for. 

Under his tent of coarse _wadmal_ cloth the travellers found shelter, and such rude hospitality as the poor Lap could afford them--in returnfor which they had to live in the midst of a smoke that nearly put outtheir eyes. But they knew they had entered upon an expedition, in whichmany hardships were to be expected; and they bore the inconvenience withbecoming fortitude. 

It is not my intention to give the details of the everyday life of theyoung hunters, nor yet an account of the very many curious incidents, which occurred to them during their sojourn in Lapland. Much was noteddown in their journal--from which this narrative has been drawn--interesting only to themselves, or perhaps still more to their fatherthe baron. For him they wrote an account of everything peculiar thatthey observed--such as the odd customs of the Laplanders--their mode oftravelling in sledges with reindeer--their snow-skating on the _skidors_and _skabargers_--and, in short, a full account of the habits andmanners of these singular people. Especially, however, did Alexisdescribe the objects of natural history which came under his notice--giving such details as he drew from personal observation, or derivedfrom the native hunters, many of whom they encountered while engaged inthe chase of the bear. 

These details, were they given in full, would fill a book of themselves. We must content ourselves, therefore, with relating only the moreinteresting incidents, and striking adventures which happened to ourheroes. 

We may here state that it was in the early part of spring that theyarrived in Lapland, or rather in the latter part of winter, when theground is still covered with deep snow. At this season the bears arehidden away in their caves--in crevices of the rocks or hollow trees--from which they only issue forth when the spring sun makes itself felt, and the snow begins to disappear from the sides of the hills. 

Every one has heard of this _winter sleep_ of the bears; and it has beenattributed to bears of all species. This, however, is a mistake, as itis only indulged in by a few kinds; and the climate and nature of thecountry which the bear inhabits has more to do with his _hybernation_than any natural instinct of the animal: since it has been observed thatbears will go to sleep, or _hybernate_, as it is termed, in one part ofa country, while individuals of the same species, in another region, will be found roaming about all the winter through. The state of torporseems to be voluntary with these animals: since it is generally indistricts where food could not be procured, that they submit themselvesto this prolonged _siesta_. 

However this may be, the brown bears of Lapland certainly indulge in aperiod of slumber--during which they are difficult to find. Neverissuing from their places of concealment, they make no track in the snowby which they might be followed. At such seasons it is only byaccident, or by the aid of his dog, that the Lap hunter chances todiscover the retreat of a bear; and, when one is thus discovered, various methods are adopted for securing the valuable skin and carcassof the animal. 

It so chanced that, previous to the arrival of the young Russians upontheir hunting-ground, there had been a show of spring--that is, a fewdays of warm sun--but this had been succeeded by a return of the coldweather, with a fresh fall of snow. The spell of warmth, however, hadaroused many bears from their lethargy--some of which had ventured outof their caves, and made short excursions among the hills--in search, nodoubt, of the berries, that, preserved all winter by the snow, are sweetand mellow at this season, and a favourite food of the bears. 

This casual occurrence of the spring having made a promise and not keptit, was just the chance for our hunters; since it enabled them in a_very_ short time to track a bear to his den. 

A few days after their arrival upon the hunting-ground, they were ableto do this--having come upon the footmarks of a bear, that, followed fora mile or so through the snow, led them to the animal's lair. It ledthem also to an adventure, which was the first they had yet encountered;and which came very near being the last that Pouchskin was ever to havein the world. Pouchskin was certainly in great peril; and how heescaped from it will be learnt, by reading an account of the adventure. 

CHAPTER SEVEN. 

JACK-IN-THE-BOX. 

It was early in the morning, shortly after leaving the tent of theLaplander, they had chanced upon the track of the bear. 

After following it for nearly a mile, it conducted them to a narrowgorge or ravine, lying between two rocky ridges. The ravine itself wasnot more than ten or a dozen yards in width, and its bottom was filledwith snow to the depth of several feet. Along the sides the snow laysparsely; and in fact there had been scarce any in that place before thefall the preceding night. This had only covered the ground to the depthof a few inches: but it was sufficient to show the footmarks of thebear; and they were able to follow the _spar_--so the Scandinavianhunters call the tracks of an animal--as fast as they chose to go. 

Following it up, then, our hunters entered the ravine. They kept forsome distance along one side--just by the edge of the deep snow; but atlength, the track indicated where the bear had crossed to the otherside; and of course they were compelled to cross likewise. 

This deep snow was the accumulated deposits of different storms that hadoccurred during the winter; and, shadowed from the sun by the longbranches of evergreen pines from both sides stretching outward over theravine, it had remained without melting. There was a crust over it--strong enough to carry a man on _skidors_, but not without them, unlesshe proceeded with care and caution. The bear had gone over it; butthese animals, notwithstanding their enormous weight and bulk, can passover ice or crusted snow that will not carry a man. Their weight restsupon four points instead of two; and as they need only lift one foot ata time, they still have three points of support. A man must also liftone foot, which leaves him only one to stand upon; and therefore hiswhole weight presses upon a single point, and so endangers his breakingthrough. The great length of a bear's body, moreover, and the vaststretch between his fore and hind legs give him an additionaladvantage--enabling him to distribute his weight over a large surface--and this is why he can shuffle over ice or snow-crust, that may be tooweak to carry a human being. Every boy knows--at least every boy whohas skated or ventured upon a frozen pond--that by creeping on hands andknees, or, more certain still, by sprawling along on the breast, ice maybe passed over, that would not bear the same boy in an erect attitude. 

Such advantage, then, had the bear which our young hunters were trackingup; and it would have been well for them--at least for Pouchskin--hadthey thought of it. They did not. They supposed that where a greatheavy animal like a bear had gone they might go too; and, withoutfurther reflection, they stepped out upon the deep bed of snow. 

Alexis and Ivan being light weights passed over the snow safely enough;but Pouchskin, weighing nearly as much as both of them--and furtherloaded with a ponderous wood-axe and his huge gun, to say nothing ofsundry well-filled pockets and pouches--was more than the crust wouldcarry. Just when he had got about halfway across, there was heard atearing crash; and before the boys could turn to inquire the cause, Pouchskin had disappeared, and all his _paraphernalia_ along with him!

No, not quite all. There was seen about two feet of the barrel of hisgun above the surface; and as that still pointed upward--while it movedaround the circular hole through which the old guardsman had fallen--theboys concluded that the piece was in his hands, and that Pouchskin wasstill upon his feet. 

At the same instant a voice reached their ears--in a hollow sepulchraltone, like that of a man speaking from the bottom of a well, or throughthe bung-hole of an empty cask!

Notwithstanding its _baritone_ notes, the boys perceived that theexclamations made by the voice were not those of terror, but rather ofsurprise, followed by a slight laugh. Of course, therefore, theirattendant had received no injury, nor was he in any danger; and, assuredof this, Ivan first, and then Alexis, broke out into yells of laughter. 

On cautiously approaching the trap-like hole, through which Pouchskinhad disappeared, their merriment burst forth afresh, at the ludicrousspectacle. There stood the old guardsman, like a jack-in-the-box in thecentre of a hollow funnel-shaped cylinder which he had made in the snow. But what was strangest of all, there was no snow among his feet: on thecontrary, he was up to his knees in water, and not stagnant watereither, but a current, that ran rapidly underneath the snow, and hadswished the crusted fragments from the spot where he was standing!

A stream, in fact, ran down the ravine; and, although the snowcompletely hid it from view, there it was, rushing along underneaththrough a tunnel which it had melted out for itself--the snow forming acontinuous bridge above it. 

The boys did not know all this--for they could only just see the top ofPouchskin's head, with his long arms holding the gun--but they couldhear the rushing noise of the water, and Pouchskin reported the rest. 

It did not appear so easy to extricate him from his unpleasantpredicament; for the resemblance between his situation, and that ofjack-in-the-box, went no further. There was no jerking machinery bywhich the ex-guardsman could be jumped out of his box; and, since hishead was full three feet below the crust of the snow, how he was to beraised to the surface required some consideration. 

Neither of the young hunters dared to approach the circumference of thecircular hole through which Pouchskin had sunk. They might have brokenthrough themselves, and then all three would have been in the same fix. Of course, under this apprehension, they dared not go near enough topull him out with their hands--even had they been able to reach down tohim. 

It is true he might have got out, after some time, by breaking the snowbefore him, and working his way at right angles to the course of thestream: for it was evident that the ground sloped sharply up in thatdirection, and the snow became shallower. Except above the water, itwas firm enough to have borne his weight, and after a time he might havescrambled out; but a more expeditious plan of relieving him, and one farless troublesome to Pouchskin, suggested itself to Alexis. 

One of the _impedimenta_, which the old guardsman carried on hisshoulders, was a coil of stout cord--almost a rope. This they hadbrought with them, in the anticipation of being successful in theirhunt; and, with the idea of its being required at the skinning of thebear--as also for packing the hide, or any similar purpose. 

It was the presence of this cord that suggested to Alexis the scheme hehad conceived, for relieving his faithful follower from his unhappyposition; and the plan itself will be understood by our describing itsexecution, which took place on the instant. 

Alexis called to Pouchskin to tie one end of the rope round his body, and then fling the other out upon the snow--as far as he could cast it. This request was instantly complied with; and the end of the rope madeits appearance at the feet of Alexis. 

The latter taking it in his hand, ran up the bank to the nearest tree;and, giving it a turn or two round the trunk, he handed it to Ivan, withthe direction to hold it fast and keep it from slipping. A knot wouldhave served the same purpose; but the whole thing was the work of only afew moments; and as Ivan was standing by doing nothing, his brotherthought he might just as well take hold of the rope and save time. 

Alexis now crept back, as near to the edge of the trap as it was safe togo. He took with him a long pole, which by a lucky chance, he had foundlying under the trees. Slipping this under the rope, and placing itcrosswise, he shoved it still nearer to the circumference of the brokencircle--his object being to give support to the cord, and keep it fromcutting into the snow. 

The contrivance was perfectly correct; and as soon as Alexis had got allready, he shouted to Pouchskin to haul upon the rope, and help himself. 

Meanwhile, the old guardsman had slung his fusil upon his back; and, immediately on receiving the signal, commenced his ascent--pulling handover hand upon the rope, and assisting his arms by working his feetagainst the wall of snow. 

The moment his head appeared above the surface, the laughter of hisyoung masters, that had been for a while suspended, burst forth afresh. And it was no wonder: for the expression upon the old soldier's visage, as it rose above the white crust, his bent attitude, and the desperateexertions he was making to clamber upward, all combined to form a mostludicrous picture. 

Ivan screamed till the tears ran down his cheeks. So overcome was hewith mirth, that it is possible he would have let go, and permittedPouchskin to tumble back into his trap; but the more sober Alexis, foreseeing such a contingency, ran up and took hold of the rope. 

By this means, Pouchskin was at length landed safely on the surface ofthe snow; but even his tall boots of Russia leather had not saved hislegs and feet from getting well soaked; and he was now dripping withmuddy water from the thighs downwards. 

There was no time, however, to kindle a fire and dry him. They did notthink of such a thing. So eager were all three in the chase of thebear, that they only waited to coil up the cord, and then continuedonward. 

CHAPTER EIGHT. 

THE SCANDINAVIAN BEARS. 

"Really, now, " said Ivan, pointing to one of the tracks, "if it wasn'tthat I see the marks of claws instead of toes, I should fancy we weretracking a man instead of a bear--some barefooted Laplander, forinstance. How very like these tracks are to those of a human foot!"

"That is quite true, " rejoined Alexis; "there is a very remarkableresemblance between the footprints of the bear and those of a humanbeing--especially when the trades have stood a while. As it is, now, you can see clearly the marks of the claws; but in a day or two, whenthe sun or the rain has fallen upon the snow, and melted it a little, the claw marks will then be filled up with the thaw, and, losing theirsharp outlines, will look much more like the tracks of toes. For thatreason, an old bear-track is, indeed, as you say, very like that of ahuman foot. "

"And quite as large too?"

"Quite as large: the tracks of some kinds even larger than those of mostmen. As, for instance, the white and grizzly species--many individualsof both having paws over twelve inches in length!"

"The bear does not tread upon his toes in walking, but lays the wholesole of his foot along the ground--does he not?" asked Ivan. 

"Precisely so, " replied Alexis; "and hence he is termed a _plantigrade_animal, to distinguish him from those other kinds, as horses, oxen, swine, dogs, cats, and so forth, that all, in reality, step upon theirtoes. "

"There are some other plantigrade animals besides bears?" said Ivan, interrogatively; "our badger and glutton, for instance?"

"Yes, " answered the naturalist. "These are plantigrade; and for thisreason they have been classed along with the bears under the generalname _ursidae_; but in father's opinion, and mine too, " added Alexis, with a slight sparkle of scientific conceit, "this classification isaltogether an erroneous one, and rests upon the very insignificantsupport of the plantigrade feet. In all other respects the differentgenera of small animals, that have thus been introduced into the familyof the bears are, as unlike the latter almost bears as are to bluebottles. "

"What animals have been included in this family _ursidae_?"

"The European glutton and American wolverine (_gulo_), the badgers ofboth continents, and of Asia (_meles_), the raccoon (_procyon_), theCape ratel (_mellivora_), the panda (_ailurus_), the benturong(_ictides_), the coati (_nasua_), the paradoxure (_paradoxurus_), andeven the curious little teledu of Java (_mydaus_). It was Linnaeushimself who first entered these animals under the heading of _bears_--atleast, such of them as were known in his day; and the French anatomist, Cuvier, extended this incongruous list to the others. To distinguishthem from the true bears, they divided the family into two branches--the_ursinae_, or bears properly so called, and the _subursinae_, or littlebears. Now, in my opinion, " continued Alexis, "there is not theslightest necessity for calling these numerous species of animals even`_little bears_. ' They are not bears in any sense of the word: havingscarce any other resemblance to the noble Bruin than their plantigradefeet. All these animals--the Javanese teledu excepted--have long tails;some of them, in fact, being very long and very bushy--a characteristicaltogether wanting to the bears, that can hardly be said to have tailsat all. But there are other peculiarities that still more widelyseparate the bears from the so called `little bears;' and indeed so manyessential points of difference, that the fact of their being classedtogether might easily be shown to be little better than mere anatomicalnonsense. It is an outrage upon common sense, " continued Alexis, warming with his subject, "to regard a raccoon as a bear, --an animalthat is ten times more like a fox, and certainly far nearer to the genus_canis_ than that of _ursus_. On the other hand, it is equally absurdto break up the true bears into different _genera_--as these sameanatomists have done; for if there be a family in the world theindividual members of which bear a close family likeness to one another, that is the family of Master Bruin. Indeed, so like are the differentspecies, that other learned anatomists have gone to the opposite extremeof absurdity, and asserted that they are all one and the same! However, we shall see as we become acquainted with the different members of thisdistinguished family, in what respects they differ from each other, andin what they are alike. "

"I have heard, " said Ivan, "that here, in Norway and Lapland, there aretwo distinct species of the brown bear, besides the black variety, whichis so rare; and I have also heard say that the hunters sometimes capturea variety of a greyish colour, which they call the `silver bear. ' Ithink papa mentioned these facts. "

"Just so, " replied Alexis; "it has been the belief among Swedishnaturalists that there are two species, or at least permanent varieties, of the brown bear in Northern Europe. They have even gone so far as togive them separate specific names. One is the _ursus arctos major_, while the other is _ursas arctos minor_. The former is the largeranimal--more fierce in its nature, and more carnivorous in its food. The other, or smaller kind, is of a gentler disposition--or at allevents more timid--and instead of preying upon oxen and other domesticanimals, confines itself to eating grubs, ants, roots, berries, andvegetable substances. In their colour there is no perceptibledifference between the two supposed varieties--more than may be oftenfound between two individuals notedly of the same kind; and it is onlyin size and habits that a distinction has been observed. The latest andmost accurate writers upon this subject believe that the great andlittle brown bears are not even varieties; and that the distinctivecharacteristics are merely the effects of age, sex, or other accidentalcircumstances. It is but natural to suppose that the younger bearswould not be so carnivorous as those of greater age. It is well-knownthat preying upon other animals and feeding upon their flesh, is not anatural instinct of the brown bear; it is a habit that has its origin, first in the scarcity of other food, but which, once entered upon, soondevelops itself into a strong propensity--almost equalling that of the_felidae_. 

"As to the black bear being a distinct species, that is a question alsomuch debated among both hunters and naturalists. The hunters say thatthe fur of the black European bear is never of that jetty blacknesswhich characterises the real black bears of American and Asiaticcountries, but only a very dark shade of brown; and they believe that itis nothing more than the brown fur itself, grown darker in old age. Certainly they have reason for this belief: since it is a well-knownfact that the brown bears do become darker as they grow older. "

"Ha!" said Ivan, with a laugh, "that is just the reverse with us. Lookat Pouchskin there! Your hair was once black, wasn't it, old Pouchy?"

"Yes, Master Ivan, black as a crow's feathers. "

"And now you're as grey as a badger. Some day, before long--before weget home again may be--your moustache, old fellow, will be as white asan ermine. "

"Very like, master, very like--we'll all be a bit older by that time. "

"Ha! ha! ha!" laughed Ivan; "you're right there, Pouchy; but go on, brother!" he added, turning to Alexis, "let us hear all about theseScandinavian bears. You have not spoken yet of the `silver' ones. "

"No, " said Alexis; "nor of another kind that is found in thesecountries, and that some naturalists have elevated into a differentspecies--the `ringed bear. '"

"You mean the bears with a white ring round their necks? Yes, I haveheard of them too. "

"Just so, " rejoined Alexis. 

"Well, brother, what do _you_ think? is it a distinct species, or apermanent variety?"

"Neither one nor the other. It is merely an accidental marking whichsome young individuals of the brown bear chance to have, and it scarcelyever remains beyond the age of _cubhood_. It is only very young bearsthat are met with of this colour; and the white ring disappears as theyget older. It is true that hunters now and then meet with an odd ringedbear of tolerable size and age; but all agree that he is the brown bear, and not a distinct kind. The same remarks apply to the `silver' bear;and hunters say that in a litter of three cubs they have found all threecolours--the common brown, the `ringed, ' and the `silver, '--while theold mother herself was a true _ursus arctos_. "

"Well, since papa only binds us to the brown and black, it will be anice thing if we could fall in with a skin of the ringed and silvervarieties. It would please him all the better. I wonder now what sortis this fellow we are following? By the size of his tracks he must be awopper!"

"No doubt an old male, " rejoined Alexis; "but if I am not mistaken, weshall soon be able to determine that point. The _spar_ gets fresher andfresher. He must have passed here but a very short while ago; and Ishould not wonder if we were to find him in this very ravine. "

"See!" exclaimed Ivan, whose eyes had been lifted from the trail, andbent impatiently forward;--"see! by the great Peter! yonder's a hole, under the root of that tree. Why might it not be his cave?"

"It looks like enough. Hush! let us keep to the trail, and go up to itwith caution--not a word!"

All three, now scarce breathing--lest the sound should be heard--stolesilently along the trail. The fresh-fallen snow, still soft aseider-down, enabled them to proceed without making the slightest noise;and without making any, they crept up, till within half-a-dozen paces ofthe tree. 

Ivan's conjecture was likely to prove correct. There was a line oftracks leading up the bank; and around the orifice of the cavity thesnow was considerably trampled down--as if the bear had turned himselftwo or three times before entering. That he had entered, the huntersdid not entertain a doubt: there were no return tracks visible in thesnow--only the single line that led up to the mouth of the cave, andthis seemed to prove conclusively that Bruin was "at home. "

CHAPTER NINE. 

HYBERNATION OF BEARS. 

As already stated, it is the custom of the brown bear, as well as ofseveral other species, to go to sleep for a period of several monthsevery winter, --in other words, to _hybernate_. When about to take thislong nap, the bear seeks for himself a cave or den, in which he makeshis bed with such soft substances as may be most convenient--dry leaves, grass, moss, or rushes. He collects no great store of these however--his thick matted fur serving him alike for bed and coverlet; and veryoften he makes no further ado about the matter than to creep into thehole he has chosen, lie down, snugly couch his head among the thicketsof long hair that cover his hams, and thus go to sleep. 

Some naturalists have asserted that this sleep is a state of torpidity--from which the animal is incapable of awaking himself or of beingawakened, until the regular period of indulgence in it may have passed. This, however, is not the case; for bears are often surprised in theirsleep, and when aroused by the hunters act just as is usual with them atother times. 

It must be observed, however, that the retirement of the bear intowinter quarters is not to be regarded as of the same nature as thehybernation of marmots, squirrels, and other species of rodent animals. These creatures merely shut themselves up from the cold; and to meet theexigencies of their voluntary imprisonment, they have already collectedin their cells a large store of their usual food. Bees and many otherinsects do precisely same thing. Not so with the bear. Whether it bethat he is not gifted with an instinct of providence it is difficult tosay; but certain it is, that he lays up no store for these long darkdays, but goes to sleep without thought of the morrow. 

How he is maintained for several months without eating is one ofnature's mysteries. Every one has heard the absurd theory: that he doesso by "sucking his paws, " and the ingenious Buffon has not only givencredence to this story, but endeavours to support it, by stating thatthe paws when cut open yield a substance of a milky nature!

It is a curious fact that this story is to be found scattered all overthe world--wherever bears hybernate. The people of Kamschatka have it;so also the Indians, and Esquimaux of the Hudson's Bay territory, andthe Norwegian and Lap hunters of Europe. Whence did thesewidely-distributed races of men derive this common idea of a habitwhich, if the story be a true one, must be common to bears of verydifferent species?

This question can be answered. In northern Europe the idea firstoriginated--among the hunters of Scandinavia. But the odd story oncetold was too good to be lost; and every traveller, since the firstteller of it, has taken care to embellish his narrative about bears withthis selfsame conceit; so that, like the tale of the Amazon women inSouth America, the natives have learnt it from the travellers, and notthe travellers from the natives!

How absurd to suppose that a huge quadruped, whose daily food would beseveral pounds weight of animal or vegetable matter--a bear who candevour the carcass of a calf at a single meal--could possibly subsistfor two months on the _paw-milk_ which Monsieur Buffon has described!

How then can we account for his keeping alive? There need be nodifficulty in doing so. It is quite possible that during this longsleep the digestive power or process is suspended, or only carried on ata rate infinitesimally small; that, moreover, life is sustained and theblood kept in action by means of the large amount of fat which the bearhas collected previous to his _going to bed_. It is certain that, justat their annual _bed time_, bears are fatter than at any other season ofthe year. The ripening of the forest fruits, and the falling of variousseeds of mast-worts, upon which, during the autumn, bears principallysubsist, then supply them with abundance, and nothing hinders them toget fat and go to sleep upon it. They would have no object in keepingawake: were they to do so, in those countries where they practisehybernation, they would certainly starve, for, the ground being thenfrozen hard, they could not dig for roots, and under the deep coveringof snow they might search in vain for their masts and berries. As toforaging on birds or other quadrupeds, bears are not fitted for that. They are not agile enough for such a purpose. 

They will eat both when they can catch them; but they cannot alwayscatch them; and if they had no other resource in the snowy season thebears would certainly starve. To provide them against this time ofscarcity, nature has furnished them with the singular power ofsomnolence. Indeed, that this is the purpose is easily proved. It isproved by the simple fact that those bears belonging to warm latitudes, as the Bornean, Malayan, and even the black American of the SouthernStates, do not hybernate at all. There is no need for them to do so. Their unfrozen forests furnish them with food all the year round; andall the year round are they seen roaming about in search of it. Even inthe Arctic lands the polar bear keeps afoot all the year; his diet notbeing vegetable, and therefore not snowed up in winter. The female ofthis species hides herself away; but that is done for another purpose, and not merely to save herself from starvation. 

That the stock of fat, which the bear lays in before going to sleep, hassomething to do with subsisting him, is very evident from the fact thatit is all gone by the time he awakes. Then or shortly afterwards, master Bruin finds himself as thin as a rail; and were he to look in aglass just then, he would scarce recognise himself, so very different ishis long emaciated carcass from that huge plump round body, that twomonths before he could scarce squeeze through the entrance to his cave!

Another great change comes over him during his prolonged sleep. Ongoing to bed, he is not only very fat, but also very lazy; so much sothat the merest tyro of a hunter can then circumvent and slay him. Naturally a well-disposed animal--we are speaking only of the brown bear(_ursus arctos_) though the remark will hold good of several otherspecies--he is at this period more than usually civil and soft-tempered. He has found a sufficiency of vegetable food which is more congenial tohis taste than animal substances; and he will not molest living creaturejust then, if living creature will only let him alone. Aroused from hissleep, however, he shows a different disposition. He appears as if hehad got up "wrong side foremost. " His head aches, his belly hungers, and he is disposed to believe that some one has stolen upon him whileasleep, and robbed him of his suet. Under this impression he issuesfrom his dark chamber in very ill humour indeed. This dispositionclings to him for a length of time; and if at this period, during hismorning rambles, he should encounter any one who does not get speedilyout of his way, the party thus meeting him will find him a very awkwardcustomer. It is then that he makes havoc among the flocks and herds ofthe Scandinavian shepherd--for he actually does commit such ravages--andeven the hunter who meets him at this season will do well to "warebear. "

And so does the hunter; and so did Alexis, and Ivan, and Pouchskin. Allthree of them were well enough acquainted with the habits of the bear--their own Russian bear--to know that they should act with caution inapproaching him. 

And in this wise they acted; for instead of rushing up to the mouth ofthe hole, and making a great riot, they stole forward in perfectsilence, each holding his gun cocked, and ready to give Bruin a salute, the moment he should show his snout beyond the portals of his den. 

Had they not tracked him to his cave, they would have acted quitedifferently. Had they found a bear's den--within which they knew thatthe animal was indulging in his winter sleep--they would not have caredso much how they approached it. Then he would have required a good dealof stirring up to induce him to show himself, so that they could get ashot at him; but the track told them that this one had been up andabroad--perhaps for several days--and as the new snow, in alllikelihood, had hindered him from picking up much to eat, he would be as"savage as a meat axe. "

Expecting him to spring out almost on the instant, the three took standat some distance from the mouth of the cave; and, with arms inreadiness, awaited his coming forth. 

CHAPTER TEN. 

BRUIN AT HOME?

The entrance to the cave, if cave it was, was an aperture of no greatdimensions--about large enough to admit the body of a full-grown bear, and no bigger. It appeared to be a hole or burrow, rather than a cave, and ran under a great pine-tree, among whose roots, no doubt, was theden of the bear. The tree itself grew up out of the sloping bank; andits great rhizomes stretched over a large space, many of them appearingabove the surface soil. In front of the aperture was a little ledge, where the snow was hacked by the bear's paws, but below this ledge thebank trended steeply down--its slope terminating in the bed of deepersnow already described. 

As stated, the three hunters had taken their stand, but not alltogether. Directly in front of the cave was Pouchskin, and below it, ofcourse, on account of the sloping bank. He was some six paces from theaperture. On the right side Ivan had been placed, while Alexis hadpassed on, and now stood upon the left. The three formed a sort ofisosceles triangle, of which Pouchskin was the apex, and the line of thebank the base. A perpendicular dropped from the muzzle of Pouchskin'sgun would have entered the aperture of the cave. Of course Pouchskin'swas the post of danger; but that was to be expected. 

They stood a good while in silence. No signs of Bruin--neither by sightnor hearing. 

It was then resolved that some stir should be made--a noise of any kind, that might bring the beast forth. They coughed and talked loudly, butall to no purpose. They shouted at length with like fruitless result--Bruin would not stir!

That he was inside none of them doubted. How could they? The tracksgoing to the cave, and none coming from it, set that question at rest. Certainly he was in his den? but whether asleep or not, it was evidenthe took no heed of their shouting. 

Some other means must be adopted to get him out. He must be stirred upwith a pole! This was the plan that suggested itself, and the onedetermined upon. 

Pouchskin started off to procure a pole. The others kept guard--stillholding their guns in readiness, lest the bear might make a rush inPouchskin's absence. But Bruin had no such intention; nor was hispresence betrayed by sight or sound, until Pouchskin came back. He hadcut a pole with his axe, and had taken the precaution to select a longone. A young sapling it was, that when cleared of its branches appearedas long as a hop-pole. Pouchskin knew the advantage of its length. Hehad no particular wish to come to close quarters with the bear. 

Creeping back pretty nearly into his old place, he inserted the end ofthe sapling into the aperture--then rattled it against the sides, andwaited a bit. No response from Bruin! Once more the pole was pushedin, this time a little further, and again accompanied with similar noisydemonstrations. Bruin neither moves nor makes sound!

"He must be asleep! Try a little further, Pouchskin!"

This suggestion came from the impatient Ivan. 

Encouraged by the words of his young master, Pouchskin approached, nearer to the aperture, and buried half of the pole inside. He thenturned the stick and poked it all about, but could touch nothing thatfelt like a bear. Growing more confident, he crept yet nearer, andpushed the pole up till he could touch the bottom of the cave--once morefeeling with its point in all directions, against the further end, alongthe sides, upwards and downwards, and everywhere. Still he touchednothing soft--nothing that felt as the shaggy hide of a bear should do--nothing, in fact, but hard rocks, against which the stick could be heardrattling wherever he pushed it!

This was very mysterious. Pouchskin was an old bear-hunter. He hadpoked his pole into many a burrow of Bruin, and he knew well enough whenhe had touched bottom. He could tell moreover that the cave he was nowexploring was all in one piece--a single-roomed house. Had there beenany second or inner chamber he would have found the aperture that led toit; but there appeared to be none. 

To make sure of this, he now approached quite near to the entrance, andcontinued to guage the cavity with his stick. Alexis and Ivan also drewnear--one on each side of him--and the exploration continued. 

In a short while, however, Pouchskin became nearly satisfied that _therewas no bear in the den_! He had groped with his stick all round andround it, and had come in contact with nothing softer than a rock or aroot of the tree. As a last _resource_ he lay down on the ground tolisten--placing his ear close to the mouth of the cave; and, cautioninghis young masters to keep silent, in this position he remained for someseconds of time. 

Perhaps it was fortunate for them, if not for him, that they attended tohis caution. Their silence enabled them to hear what Pouchskin couldnot--placed as he now was--and that was a sound that caused the youngbear-hunters to start back and look upwards, instead of into the cave. 

As they did so, a sight met their eyes that drew from both asimultaneous cry, while both at the same instant retreated several pacesfrom the spot, elevating their guns as they went backward. 

Slowly moving down the trunk of the great pine-tree appeared an animalof enormous size. Had they not been expecting something of the kindneither could have told that this moving object was an animal: since atfirst sight neither a head nor limbs could be distinguished--only animmense shapeless mass of brown shaggy hair. 

The instant after a huge hairy limb was protruded below, and thenanother both terminating in broad ungulated paws, that in successiongriped the rough bark of the tree, causing it to rattle and scale off. 

Singular as its shape was there was no mistaking the animal that wasmaking this retrograde movement. It was Bruin himself, descending thetree buttocks downward!

CHAPTER ELEVEN. 

HAND TO HAND. 

Alexis and Ivan, as they started back, simultaneously screamed out ashout of warning to Pouchskin. Both, almost at the same instant, raisedtheir guns, and fired into the buttocks of the bear. 

Pouchskin had heard their cries, but not the preliminary "sniff" whichthe animal had uttered: he had been too eager in _listening inside ofthe cave_, to hear aught that was passing without. He heard theirwarning cry however, and the reports of their guns; but not in time toget out of the way. Just as the shots were fired, he had half risenfrom his recumbent attitude; but the bear at that moment dropped downfrom the tree, and coming "_co-thump_" on the back of the old guardsman, once more flattened him out upon his face!

Perhaps it would have been as well for Pouchskin, if he had quietlyremained in that attitude: for the bear had already turned from him, andshowed signs of an intention to retreat; but Pouchskin, deeming that hewas in the worst position he could well be in, scrambled suddenly to hisfeet, and made a "grab" at his gun. 

This show of fight on the part of his antagonist--and the belief, perhaps, that it was Pouchskin that had so rudely tickled hisposteriors--roused the fury of the bear; and instead of exposing hishind quarters to a second assault, he charged mouth open upon theex-guardsman. By this time, the latter had recovered his gun, andpromptly brought the piece to his shoulder; but, alas! the gun snapped!The lock had been wetted in the snow-trap. It was a flint lock, and thepriming had got damped. 

The failure only increased the fury of the animal; and a charge ofswan-shot, which Ivan at the same instant fired from his second barrel, still further irritated him. 

Pouchskin drew his long-bladed knife. It was the only weapon he couldlay his hand upon, for the axe, which might have served him better, hadbeen left above on the bank, where he had lopped the sapling. 

He drew his knife, therefore, and prepared to defend himself in a _handto paw_ struggle. 

He might still have retreated, though not with a certainty of safety--for in the hurry of the moment the bear had got on the bank above him:and had he turned his back, the fierce quadruped might have overtaken, and knocked him down at his will. Pouchskin thought it better to facethe bear, and receive his onslaught at arm's length. 

There was but one way in which he could have retreated, and that wasbackward down the slope. He might make ground in that direction; and itoccurred to him to do so, in order to get footing on a more levelsurface. 

The bear having paused a moment to bite the place where the rifle bullethad stung him, gave Pouchskin time to gain some ground backwards; butonly a few paces--since the whole affair did not occupy a tenth of thetime taken in describing it. 

Just as Pouchskin had reached the bottom of the slope, his angryassailant, with a terrific growl, rushed forth from the smoke, andgalloped directly towards him. When about three feet distant from thehunter, Bruin reared upon his hind legs, in the attitude of aprize-fighter!

Pouchskin was seen to lunge forward with his right arm--the one whichcarried his knife; and, the moment after, both man and beast appearedclosed together, "in grips. "

In this fashion they went waltzing over the snow, the spray of whichrose in a cloud around them; and for a while they were seen only as onedark upright form, in confused and violent motion!

Ivan was uttering cries of fear--fear for the safety of his dearly-lovedPouchskin; while Alexis, more cool, was rapidly reloading his rifle, --knowing that the surest means of saving the life of their faithfulattendant, was to encompass the death of the bear. 

It was a moment of real peril for Pouchskin. The bear was one of thelargest and fiercest he had ever encountered; and, perhaps, had heexamined the brute more minutely before the conflict commenced, he wouldhave thought twice before facing him. But the smoke from the guns wasstill over and around the spot, hanging upon the damp air. Up to thetime when Pouchskin resolved to make stand, he had not yet had a clearview of his shaggy antagonist. When at length he perceived theformidable proportions of the animal, it was too late to retreat; andthe struggle began as described. 

In brief time Alexis--who at loading was quick as a tirailleur--hadrecharged his piece, and was now hastening up to the rescue. 

Without going quite close he dared not fire: for in the way that man andbear were dancing about, there would be as much danger of killing theone as the other. 

All at once, however, they appeared to separate. Pouchskin had tornhimself out of the bear's clutches, and, evidently disinclined to arenewal of the embrace, was retreating backward, over the snow, stillhotly pursued by the animal. 

At this moment Alexis would have fired; but, unfortunately, thedirection in which Pouchskin was going, kept his body nearly in a linewith that of the animal; and Alexis could not fire without danger ofhitting him. 

The chase led across the ravine, and of course over the bed of snow. The pursued was doing his best to escape. But the pursuer had theadvantage--for while the man was breaking through at every step, thebroad-pawed quadruped glided over the frozen crust without sinking aninch. 

Pouchskin had got a little the start, but his pursuer was fast gainingupon him. Once or twice, indeed, the bear was close enough to touchPouchskin's skirts with his extended snout; but the necessity of rearingup, before making a stroke with his paw, required him to get stillnearer, and Bruin knew that. 

He had, however, got near enough even for this; and had risen on hishind feet, with the intention of clawing down his victim. Ivan andAlexis simultaneously uttered a cry of dismay; but before the dangerousstroke could descend, he for whom it was intended had sunk out of sight!

At first, the young hunters believed the blow had been struck, and thatPouchskin had fallen prostrate under it. They saw the bear springforward as if to cover the fallen man; but the next moment their terrorwas mingled with astonishment on seeing, or rather _not_ seeing, eitherman or bear: both had suddenly disappeared!

CHAPTER TWELVE. 

A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE. 

The sudden disappearance of both man and bear would no doubt have sadlyperplexed our young hunters, had it not been for Pouchskin's previousadventure. With that still fresh in their memory, they were at no lossto comprehend what had occurred. While eagerly endeavouring to escapefrom his antagonist, Pouchskin had, no doubt, forgotten the dangeroussnow-bridge; and, just as before, he had broken through it. 

This time, however, it was no laughing matter. Pouchskin was no longerplaying a solitary Jack-in-the-box, but, in all likelihood, he was underthe huge body of the savage monster, in the act of being torn to piecesby his teeth, or perhaps drowned in the _subnivean_ stream. Whether thebear had sprung voluntarily after him, or, in the impetus of charging, had been himself precipitated into the snow chasm without the power ofpreventing it, could not for the moment be known. The young hunterssuspected that the bear had fallen in rather against his will; forcertainly he had been seen to go down in rather an awkward andblundering manner, his hind legs pitching upwards as he broke through. 

Whether the plunge had been voluntary or against his will could matterbut little. He must be now upon top of the ex-guardsman; and, knowingthe implacable fury of these animals when roused to resentment, hisyoung masters had no other idea but that their attendant would be eitherdrowned or torn to pieces. 

As a last hope, however, Alexis rushed on over the snow, holding hisride before him, and prepared to fire its contents into the bear themoment he should get sight of the animal. 

As he advanced, he could hear a plunging and splashing of water, withother noises, --as the snorting and growling of the bear, and thecrashing of frozen snow, all mixed up in confusion of sounds. Concluding that these noises were caused by the struggle still going onbetween the man and the bear, he hurried forward. Strange! there cameno voice from Pouchskin!

When within about three paces of the broken edge, an object came underhis eyes, that caused him to halt in his track. That object was thesnout of the bear, that was projected upward above the surface of thesnow. The eyes of the animal were not visible, nor any other part ofit, except the aforesaid snout, and about six inches of the muzzle. 

The thought instantly occurred to Alexis, that the bear had reared uponhis hind feet, and was endeavouring to clamber out; and this was trueenough, for the instant after, he was seen to spring perpendicularlyupward, until his whole head and part of his neck became visible. Onlyfor an instant, however; for Bruin, who now appeared to be playingJack-in-the-box, sank once more out of sight, snout and all. 

The young hunter was just regretting that he had not taken a snap shotat the animal's head; but before ten seconds of time had elapsed, thesnout was again popped up by the edge of the hole. In all probabilitythe bear would make a second attempt to spring out. 

Alexis was therefore waiting till the whole head should show itself; butquick as a flash of lightning, it occurred to him that the brute mightat the second effort succeed in reaching the surface of the snow, andthen he would himself be in danger. To avoid this contingency, heresolved to fire at once; not at the snout, for, although he could nothave failed to send his bullet through it, he knew that that would notkill the bear, but only render him more desperately furious, if such athing had been possible. 

It was the bear's skull he meant to take aim at. From the position ofthe animal's snout, of course he could tell exactly where the head mustbe, though he could not see it. 

Had Alexis been an unskilled marksman, he would have stood his ground;and, guessing the position of the bear's head, would have fired at itthrough the snow. But he did not act in this manner. He had scientificknowledge sufficient to tell him that his bullet, sent in a slantingdirection, might glance off the frozen crust, and miss the markaltogether. To ensure its direction, therefore, he instantly glided twosteps forward, poked the barrel of his piece through the snow, until themuzzle almost touched the head of the bear--and then fired!

For some seconds he saw nothing. The smoke of the gunpowder, as well asthe snow-dust blown up before the muzzle of the gun, formed a densecloud over the spot. But though Alexis could not see the effect of hisshot, he could tell by what he heard that his bullet had done good work. A loud "swattering" at the bottom of the hole proclaimed that the bearwas struggling in the water; while his piteous whines and faint gruntingtold that his fierce strength was fast passing away. 

As soon as the smoke had cleared off, Alexis upon his knees creptforward to the edge, and looked over it. There was blood upon the snow;the side against which the bear had stood was crimsoned with streams ofit; and below, in the water, among the clumps of broken snow-crust, appeared a dark-brown mass, which Alexis knew to be the body of theanimal. 

It was still in motion; but as it was in a prostrate attitude, andmaking only feeble efforts, the young hunter knew that the life wasnearly out of it. 

It was not this that was now causing him to look down with such ananxious and troubled countenance. It was his apprehensions forPouchskin. Where was he? At the bottom of the crater-like pit Alexiscould see the body of the animal, but nothing of a man--neither arms, legs, nor body. Could he be under the bear, concealed by the shaggyhair? Was he hidden under the black water that filled the bottom of theravine?--or, horrible thought! was he dead, and had his body beencarried off by the current that rushed rapidly under the snow?

This was not improbable, for Alexis could see that there was a sort ofarched tunnel between the snow and the water, quite large enough to haveadmitted the body of a man!

In agony he cried out, calling Pouchskin by name. He was repeating hisdespairing invocation, when all at once a loud laugh echoed in his ears, uttered close behind him. In the laughter he recognised the voice ofIvan. 

Alexis suddenly leaped to his feet, wondering what on earth could be thecause of this ill-timed merriment. He turned towards Ivan with theintention of chiding him; but at that moment an object fell under hiseye, that hindered him from carrying his intention into effect. On thecontrary, the sight he saw caused him such joy, that he could notrestrain himself from joining Ivan in his laughter. No wonder. Thesight was odd enough to have drawn a smile from a dying man. Aspectacle more ludicrous could scarce have been conceived. 

A little further down the ravine, and about ten paces from where theboys were standing, an object was seen protruding above the snow. Itwas about ten inches in vertical diameter, something less horizontally, and of a roundish or oval shape. In colour it was almost white as thesnow itself: for, indeed, it was sprinkled over with this material outof the bosom of which it had just emerged. A stranger coming upon theground might have been sorely puzzled to make out what it was; but notso Ivan, who, on first beholding it, as it popped upward through thefrozen crust, recognised it as the head of Pouchskin. Alexis also madeit out at the first glance; and it was the comic twinkle of Pouchskin'seyes--denoting that no great damage had happened to him--that led Alexisto join his brother in the laughter. 

Their merriment, however, was of short continuance--only an involuntaryburst, for a moment's reflection told them that Pouchskin, although theysaw him alive, might nevertheless have sustained some serious injury;and both at the thought hastened up towards the head. 

On getting close to it, however, Ivan was unable to control himself, andonce more gave way to a fit of involuntary laughter. The head of theold guardsman, standing up like a sphinx above the frozen surface, --hisgrizzled hair powdered all over with snow like the poll of some grandflunkey, --his long moustache loaded with it, --his eyes sparkling andtwinkling, and his features set in a serio-comic expression, --allcombined to form a picture that it was difficult to contemplate withseriousness. 

Alexis, however, anxious to ascertain as to whether Pouchskin hadreceived any dangerous wound, did _not_ this time join in his brother'smirth; and, as soon as they came near enough, his inquiries weredirected to that end. 

"Only scratched a bit, masters!" answered the old guardsman, --"onlyscratched a bit--nothing much; but the bear--the bear! where has thebrute gone?"

"To his long home, " answered Alexis; "you need be under no furtherapprehension about him. I think your knife must have well-nigh settledhis account, for he was unable to get out of the hole again; but, fortunately, I have finished him with a bullet, and it only remains forus to haul his carcass up and take the skin off it. First, however, letus endeavour to extricate you, my good Pouchskin; and then you can tellus by what means you have managed to make an escape that certainlyappears miraculous!"

So saying, Alexis, assisted by Ivan, commenced digging away the hardcrust that surrounded the neck of Pouchskin; and kept on at it, untilthey had uncovered his shoulders. Then seizing him by the arms--one oneach side--they drew him up, till his feet once more rested on thesurface of the snow. 

CHAPTER THIRTEEN. 

A SUBNIVEAN ESCAPE. 

Pouchskin proceeded to describe the manner of his escape--his youngmasters listening to him with great interest--although they alreadyguessed pretty nearly how it had been accomplished. Still there weresome points not so clear to them, which the old guardsman detailed. 

In the first place, he had retreated from the bear, not because hebelieved himself vanquished, but because he had lost his knife. Itshandle, wet with blood, had slipped from his grasp; and he could nottell what had become of it! Finding himself unarmed, of course his nextthought was to get out of Bruin's way, for what could an unarmed man doin the embrace of a bear--and such a bear?

He then turned and ran; but he had quite forgotten the dangerouscharacter of the snow-bed--the bridge that had refused to carry himbefore; though, indeed, over it was the only direction he could havetaken. Had he attempted to run to the right or left, his course musthave been up-hill; and the bear would have been certain to overhaul himin a couple of leaps. After all, he had taken the proper direction;and, as it proved in the end, his breaking through was the mostfortunate accident that could possibly have happened to him. Had it notchanced so, he would, in all probability, have fallen into the clutchesof the bear, and been torn to shreds by the infuriated animal. 

Well, on touching bottom, he felt the water among his feet, and justthen remembered how it had been before. He remembered the hollowarchway under the snow, and, seeing the bear above, and in the act ofbeing precipitated on top of him, he suddenly ducked his head, andpushed himself into the tunnel. He could feel the bear falling upon himbehind, and the weight of the animal's body, as it was precipitateddownwards, forced him still further under the snow-bridge. 

Once in, he continued on down the stream, working both with head andarms, and clearing a space that would allow his body to pass. The softsnow was easily pressed out of the way; and, after going as far as hedeemed necessary, he turned to the right, and worked his way upward tothe surface. 

It was while he was thus engaged that Alexis had been squaring accountswith the bear. The fierce creature had not followed Pouchskin under thesnow. In all probability, his sudden "souse" into the water hadastonished Bruin himself;--from that moment all his thoughts were toprovide for his own safety, and, with this intention, he wasendeavouring to get back to the surface of the snowdrift, when Alexisfirst caught sight of his snout. 

At the moment that Alexis fired the final shot, or just a little afterit, Pouchskin had popped up his head through the congealed crust of thesnow, and elicited from Ivan those peals of laughter that had so muchastonished his brother. Pouchskin, however, had not come unscathed outof the "scrimmage. " On examining the old guardsman, it was found thatthe bear had clawed him severely; and a piece of skin, of several inchessquare was peeled from his left shoulder. The flesh, too, was ratherbadly lacerated. 

Alexis was not without some surgical skill; and, without suffering amoment to be lost, he dressed the wound in the best manner possibleunder the circumstances. A clean handkerchief, which Ivan chanced tohave, served as a covering for the scar; and this being tied onsecurely, with a strip torn from the sleeve of Pouchskin's own shirt, left the wounded guardsman in a condition to recover, as soon as itmight please nature to permit. Nothing more could have been done by themost "skilful practitioner. "

Their next business was to look after the bear. On going back to thehole, and, gazing into it, the animal, as Alexis had anticipated, wasquite dead; and the water, partially dammed up by the huge carcass, wasflowing over it. 

Ivan, who had hitherto done least of all to secure the prize, now becamethe most active of the three; and, leaping down upon the body of thegreat brute, he looped the rope around one of its hind legs, and thenstood on one side to help the rest in raising it upward. 

Alexis and Pouchskin commenced hauling on the other end of the rope, andthe vast mass slowly ascended upward, Ivan pushing from below, andguiding it past the inequalities of the snow. It would have been adifferent sort of a task, to have hauled Bruin out of such a hole threemonths earlier in the season; that is, about the time he had lain downfor his winter _siesta_. Then he would have turned six or seven hundredpounds upon the scales, whereas at this time he was not more than halfthe weight. His skin, however, was in just as good condition as if hehad been fat; and it was this, and not his carcass, that our hunterscared for. 

After some tough pulling, accompanied by a good deal of shouting fromIvan at the bottom of the hole, the huge carcass was dragged forth, andlay at full length along the frozen snow. It was still necessary toraise it to the branch of a tree, in order that it might be skinned in aproper manner. This however, could be easily accomplished by means ofthe rope. 

Up to this time Pouchskin had been puzzled about the loss of his knife. Everywhere he looked for it; but it was nowhere to be found. All thesurface _over_ which he had danced with the bear was carefully examined, and the snow scraped up to the depth of several inches. There was theblood of the bear, and some of Pouchskin's own too, but no knife! Couldit have got into the water? No. Pouchskin declared that he had droppedit near the edge of the snow-bed: for this accident, as already stated, had been the cause of his retreat from the conflict. 

It was only when the great carcass was being hauled up to the branch, that the lost knife made its appearance. Then, to the astonishment ofthe young hunters, as well as to Pouchskin himself, the knife was seensticking in the shoulder of the bear! There it had been when the haftslipped from his hands, and there had it remained. No doubt that stabwould have given the bear his death-blow; but still more fatal had beenthe bullet from the rifle of Alexis, which had passed through Bruin'sbrain, crushing his skull like a shell!

The skinning of the animal was accomplished with great care; for thecoat was one of the finest, and the boys knew with what interest itwould be regarded on its arrival at the palace Grodonoff. They sparedno pains, therefore, in removing it from the carcass; and after the workwas finished, it was neatly folded up, tied with the rope, and placedlike a knapsack on Pouchskin's shoulders. 

Of the carcass they took no heed; but leaving it to the wolves, thegluttons, or any other carnivorous creatures that might chance to straythat way, they turned back up the ravine; and, striking off on a paththat led towards the tent of the Laplander, reached their smoky quartersin good time for dinner. 

CHAPTER FOURTEEN. 

RINGING THE BEAR. 

The bear thus killed was the true _ursus arctos_, or brown bear--thelatter name being given to him from the colour of his fur, which, inninety-nine cases out of every hundred, is a uniform brown. The name, however, is not appropriate, since there are other brown bears belongingto very different species. 

Having secured his robe, as we have seen, the next call of our hunterswas to obtain a skin from the body of his black brother. They were wellaware that this would not be so easy of accomplishment, from the simplefact, that the _ursus niger_, or "European black bear, " is one of therarest of animals--indeed, so few of them are obtained, that out of athousand skins of the European bear that pass through the hands of thefurriers, not more than two or three will be found to be of the blackvariety. 

It is true that they were just in the country where they would be mostlikely to fall in with one; for it is only in the northern zone ofEurope (and Asia also) where the black ones are found. This variety isnot encountered in the southern ranges of mountains in the Alps, Pyrenees, and Carpathians. Whether this black bear is a distinctspecies was not a question with them. They knew that by mostnaturalists he is recognised as a variety--by some a permanent one. Itwas therefore certainly included in the conditions of their father'sletter; and a skin must be procured _coute qui coute_. This done, theywould have no further business in Lapland, but might proceed at once tothe Pyrenees. 

It was not necessary to procure skins of the grey or silver bear, northat with the white ring round its neck--known as the ringed or collaredbear. As Alexis had said, it is acknowledged by all who know the _ursusarctos_ his native haunts, that these are mere accidental varieties. The true "collared bear" (_ursus collaris_) is not found in Lapland, --only in northern Asia and Kamschatka, and it is he that is known as the"Siberian bear. " The boys therefore were not "bound" by their covenantto procure these varieties; but for all that, they were gratified atgoing beyond the strict letter of their agreement, which good luckenabled them to do; for while scouring the country in search of the_ursus niger_, they chanced upon another brown bear, a female, withthree cubs, one of which was brown, like the mother; the second had thewhite ring round its neck, and the third was as grey as a little badger!All four were taken; and the young hunters not only had thegratification of being able to send the different varieties of skins totheir father's museum, but an additional satisfaction was afforded toAlexis, the naturalist, by this grand family capture. It provedincontestably, what he already suspected, and what, moreover, the nativepeasants and hunters had told him, that the "silver" and "ringed" bearswere identical with the _ursus arctos_. 

Notwithstanding their joy at the capture of the old she, and herparti-coloured pets, they were yet very anxious about the black bear. They had hunted all the forests and mountains for miles around, and hadeven succeeded in killing several other specimens of "Brownie, " but no"Blackie" was to be met with. 

It had now got known among the native hunters what they were in searchof; and, as they had offered a liberal reward to any one who could guidethem to the haunt or den of a real black bear, it was not unlikely theyshould soon hear of one. 

In this expectation they were not deceived. About a week after theoffer had been proclaimed, a Finnish peasant (one of the Quans, as theyare called) made his appearance at their headquarters, add announcedthat he had "ringed" a black bear. It was welcome tidings; and theyoung Russians at once proceeded to the indicated place. 

It may be necessary to explain what the man meant when he told them hehad "ringed" the bear; since that is a phrase of specific meaningthroughout the countries of Scandinavia. In these countries, when thetrack of a bear is observed in the snow, it is followed up by the personwho has discovered it, with the intention of "ringing" the animal--thatis, ascertaining as near as maybe, the locality in which it may havehalted from its rambles, and lain down to rest. Of course, if theperson thus trailing the bear be a hunter--or if it be a party ofhunters actually engaged in the chase, they will keep on until they havefound the bear in his den. But in nine cases out of ten, bears are notpursued in this fashion. Generally, their haunt--whether temporary orotherwise--has been ascertained beforehand, by some shepherd orwoodcutter, and a party of hunters then proceeds to the spot, and makesa surround of the animal before rousing him from his lair. 

This "surround, " however, has nothing whatever to do with the "ringing"of the bear, which is an operation of a different character, and isperformed by the party who has first chanced upon the tracks. The modeof proceeding is simply to follow the trail, or _spar_, of the bear assilently as possible--until the tracker has reason to believe that theanimal is not far off. This he discovers by observing that the _spar_no longer trends in a direct line, but doubles about in zigzags, andbackward turnings, upon itself; for when a bear intends to lie down, itis his habit to quarter the ground in every direction, precisely as doesthe hare before squatting in her form. 

Many other animals observe a similar caution before going to rest. 

The bear-tracker having reached this point, then leaves the trackaltogether, and makes a circuit round that part of the forest withinwhich he suspects Bruin to have couched himself. This circuit is ofgreater or less diameter, according to circumstances--depending on theseason of the year, nature of the ground, and a variety of otherconsiderations. While going round this circle, if it should be seenthat the track of the bear leads beyond it, then that "ring" is givenup, and another commenced further forward. If, on the other hand, thetracker gets round to the place whence he first started, without againcoming upon the _spar_, he concludes that the bear must be lyingsomewhere within the circumference which he has traced, and will therebe found. This, then, is termed "ringing" the bear. 

You may wonder why the man does not follow up the _spar_ until heactually reaches the den or lair of the animal. That is easilyexplained. The tracker is not always a bear-hunter, and even if hewere, it would not be prudent for him to approach a bear withoutassistants, who, by surrounding the animal, should cut off its retreat. Were he to go forward direct to the bear's hiding-place, Bruin would, inall probability, discover him before he could approach within shot; and, making a bolt, might carry him a chase of ten or twelve miles beforestopping. The brown bear often does so. 

The tracker, having ascertained the circle within which the animal hasmade its temporary resting-place, next proceeds to warn the hunters ofhis village or settlement; and then a large party go out for thedestruction of the common enemy. They deploy around the ring, andclosing inward, are pretty sure to find the bear either asleep in hisden, or just starting out of it, and trying to get off. The "ring" willusually keep for several days--sometimes for weeks--for the bear, especially in winter time, will remain in the vicinity of his lair forlong spells at a time. Frequently several days will elapse before anyhunters arrive on the ground; but, if the bear should have strayed offin the mean time, his tracks in the snow will still enable them tofollow and find him. If, however, fresh snow should have fallen, afterthe bear has made his exit from the marked circle, then, of course, thesearch will prove a blank, and Bruin make his escape--at least out ofthat "ring. "

One of the most singular features of this custom is, that he who hassucceeded in "ringing" a bear, is regarded as the lawful proprietor ofthe animal--or rather of the "ring"--and can dispose of his right to anyhunting party he pleases. Of course he cannot guarantee the killing ofthe bear: that is left to the skill of the hunters, who must take theirchance. The tracker only answers for a bear being found within aprescribed circle, of which he gives proof by pointing out the _spar_. With such conditions, established by long and well-observed custom, itwill easily be believed that the woodcutters and other peasants make amarket by ringing bears, frequently disposing of the "ring" to the moreardent hunters for a very considerable price! It was just with thisview that the Finnish peasant had put himself in communication with ouryoung Russians; and as the bounty they had already offered far exceededthe usual purchase-money in such cases, the Quan at once closed withtheir offer, and conducted them to the "ring. "

CHAPTER FIFTEEN. 

OLD NALLE. 

While proceeding towards the ground where they expected to find thebear, their guide informed them that he had not only ringed the animal, but actually knew the den in which it was lying. This was still better:it would not only save them a search, but enable them to encompass thebeast on all sides and cut off his retreat--should he attempt to boltbefore they could get near. 

On approaching the place, therefore, Pouchskin proposed that the threeshould separate, and, after having deployed into a circle, proceedinward from different directions. 

But the guide opposed this suggestion--saying, with a significant smile, that there was no need of such precautions, as he would answer for thebear not leaving his den, until they had all got up as near as theymight wish to be. 

The hunters wondered at this confidence on the part of their guide, butin a few minutes' time they had an explanation of it. Going up to asort of cliff that formed the side of a little stony knoll, the Quanpointed to a hole in the rocks, saying, as he did so:--

"Old _nalle_ is in there. "

Now "nalle" is the nickname of the bear throughout the Scandinaviancountries, and our Russian hunters knew this well enough; but that abear could be inside the little hole, to which their guide had pointed, appeared utterly incredible, and Ivan and Alexis burst into a loudlaugh, while Pouchskin was rather inclined to show a little anger aboutthe matter. 

The hole which the Quan had pointed out was a crevice between two greatboulders of rock. It was about a yard above the ground, upon which theystood; and was certainly not more than six or eight inches in diameter. All round the orifice the rocks were thickly coated with ice; and fromthe top of the cliff on both sides huge icicles projected downwards, until their tips touched the earth, looking like enormous trunks ofelephants, or such as even mammoths might have carried. One of theseimmense icicles was directly in front of the aperture; while on theground just below its point stood up a huge mass of an irregular conicalshape, the convex surface of which was coated with snow that had latelyfallen. 

The first impression of the hunters was, that they had been deceived bythe cunning Quan. Pouchskin declared that they would not stand beingtricked; and at once demanded back the ten rix-dollars which his youngmasters had paid for the "ring" of the bear. 

"It was all nonsense, " he said; "even if there was a cave, no bear couldbe inside, for the simple reason that none, even the smallest, couldpossibly have squeezed his carcass through a hole like that;--a catcould hardly have crept into such an aperture. Besides, where were thetracks of the bear? There were none to be seen--neither by the mouth ofthe hole, nor in the snow outside. "

There were old tracks of the peasant himself and of a dog, but not of abear. 

"It's a decided take-in, " grumbled Pouchskin. 

"Patience, master!" said the Quan. "There is a bear inside for allthat; and I'll prove it, or else return you your money. See my littledog! he'll tell you old _nalle_ is there. It was he that told me. "

As the Quan said this he let slip a diminutive cur, which he hadhitherto held in the leash. The animal, on being set free, rushed up tothe hole, and commenced scratching at the ice, and barking in the mostfurious and excited manner. It certainly proved there was some livingcreature inside; but how could the Quan tell it was a bear? and, aboveall, a black bear!

He was interrogated on this point. 

"By it, " replied the peasant, taking from his pouch a tuft of long blackfur, which was evidently that of a bear; "that is how I know that old_nalle's_ in the cave, and the colour of the hair tells me that it's_black nalle_ who's inside. "

"But how came you by that?" inquired all three in a breath, as the manheld the tuft before their eyes. 

"Well, masters!" answered the Quan, "you see some jaggy points on therock, at the top of the hole, there. I found it sticking there, wherethe bear must have left it, as he was squeezing himself into his cave--that's how it was. "

"But surely, " said Alexis, "you don't mean to assert that a bear couldpass through such a hole as that? Why, a badger couldn't get in there, my man!"

"Not _now_, " said the Quan, "I admit; it's three months since he wentin. The hole was bigger then. "

"Bigger _then_?"

"Certainly, masters! the heap you see below is only ice. It's the dripof that great icicle that has frozen up as it fell, and if it were notthere you'd see a place big enough for a bear to get in. Ah! sirs! he'sthere, I can assure you. "

"Why, he couldn't get out of himself?"

"That is very true, " replied the peasant; "he'd be safe enough theretill a good bit on in the spring. If we hadn't found him, he would havebeen obliged to stay in his cave till the sun had thawed that great heapout of his way. It often happens so with the bears in these parts, "added the Quan, without seeming to think there was anything unusualabout the circumstance. 

What the man said was literally true. The bear had gone into this cleftor cave to take his winter nap, and during the long weeks, while he wasthus hybernating, the water, of rain and melting snow, dripping from thetop of the cliff, had formed enormous stalactites of ice, withstalagmites as well: since it was one of the latter that had closed upthe entrance to the den, and fairly shut him up in his own house!

Not only does this curious accident often occur to Scandinavian bears, but these animals, notwithstanding their proverbial sagacity, frequentlybecome their own jailers. They have a habit of collecting largequantities of moss and grass in front of their caves, which they placeright in the aperture; and not inside as a bed to lie upon. Why they doso is not clearly understood. The Scandinavian hunters allege that itis for the purpose of sheltering them from the cold wind, that wouldotherwise blow up into their chamber; and in the absence of any betterexplanation this has been generally adopted. The heap soon getssaturated by rain and melting snow, and congeals into a solid mass, sohard that it requires to be cut with an axe before it can be got out ofthe way; and the bear himself is totally incapable of removing it. Theconsequence is that it often shuts up the entrance to his winterchamber; and Bruin, on awakening from his sleep, finds himself caught ina trap of his own construction. He has then no other resource but toremain inside till the spring heats have thawed the mass, so that he cantear it to pieces with his claws, and thus effect an exit. On suchoccasions, he issues forth in a state of extreme weakness andemaciation. Not unfrequently he is altogether unable to clear away theobstacle, and perishes in his den. 

On hearing these explanations from the Quan, who appeared to be wellacquainted with Bruin's habits, the young hunters were satisfied that abear was really in the cave. Indeed, they were not long upon the spot, till they had still more satisfactory evidence of this fact; for theycould hear the "sniffing" of the animal, with an occasional querulousgrowl, as if uttered in answer to the barking of the dog. Beyond doubt, there was a bear inside. 

How was he to be got out? That now became the important question. 

CHAPTER SIXTEEN. 

THE STAKED ENCLOSURE. 

They waited, for a time, in hopes that he might show his snout at thelittle aperture, and all three stood watching it, with guns cocked andready. A good while passed, however, and, as no snout made itsappearance, they came to the conclusion that the bear was not to becaught in that simple way. By the snorting growl they could tell thathe was at no great distance from the entrance, and they thought a polemight reach him. They tried this, but found that it could be insertedonly in a diagonal direction; and although Pouchskin poised in the pole, and bent it round like a rattan, he could not touch wool anywhere; whilethe bear, though he gave tongue now and then, still kept his place atthe further end of the cave. 

No other plan offered, except to cut away the icy mass, and set open themouth of the cavity. If this were done, would Bruin be then likely tocome forth? The Quan was confident he would; alleging as his reason, that, in consequence of the spell of warm weather there had been, thebear must have fully shaken off his winter drowsiness, and would nodoubt have been abroad long ago, but for the ice preventing his egressfrom the den. As soon as that should be removed, he would be prettysure to sally out--for hunger, said the peasant, will bring him forth, if not just at the moment, certainly within an hour or so. At the worstthey could wait a while. Moreover, were the ice removed, they might beable to reach him with a pole; and that would be certain to put him insuch a rage as would at once tempt him to make a _sortie_. 

With this idea, Pouchskin seized his axe, knocked the great icicle into"smithereens, " and was about going to work upon the huge _stalagmite_that blocked up the entrance, when he was interrupted by the Quan. 

"With your leave, master!" said the latter, as he laid his hand uponPouchskin's arm to restrain him. "Not so fast, if you please?"

"Why?" asked the ex-guardsman, "don't you intend to unearth the brute?"

"Yes, master, " replied the Quan; "but something must be done first. This is a black bear, you must know. "

"Well, and what of a black one more than any other?" demanded Pouchskin, somewhat surprised, for in the forests of Russia, where he had huntedbears, there were no black ones. 

"Don't you know, " said the Finn, "that Black Nalle is always bigger andfiercer than his brown brother? Besides, just at this time he will beso savage with hunger, that he would eat one of us up the moment he gotout. If that ice was away, I shouldn't like to stand here. Take yourtime, master! I think I can show you a better plan, at all events it isa safer one. It's a way we practise here--when we are sure that a bearis asleep, and won't interrupt us while we're making ready for him. "

"Oh, well, " replied Pouchskin, "I'm agreeable to anything you propose. I'm not particularly desirous of risking another wrestle--not I--I hadenough of that the other day. " And as the old guardsman made theremark, he gave a significant shrug of his shoulders, the wounds uponwhich not being yet quite cicatrised, feelingly reminded him of therough handling he had received. 

"Well then, " said the Quan, "if you will help me to cut some strongstakes, I shall show you a plan by which you may knock old _nalle_ uponthe skull without danger to any of us, or send your bullets through hisbrain, if you like better to kill him in that way. "

All, of course, agreed to the Quan's proposal; for if the black bear wasas he represented him, fiercer than his brown brethren, it would be nopleasant prospect to have him loose among them; and in case of their notbeing able to shoot him dead on the spot as he rushed out, they mightnot only be in danger of getting mauled, but in danger of what theydreaded almost as much--losing him altogether. He might get off intothe forest; and as there were tracts along the hill-sides, now quiteclear of snow, he might steal away from them beyond recovery. Thiswould be a disappointment of no ordinary kind. In fact, it might be themeans of keeping them for weeks, or perhaps months, from proceeding ontheir journey: since it might be weeks or months before they should fallin with another chance of obtaining a black bearskin; and until that wasprocured they could not turn their faces towards Spain. 

With such a prospect then, they were only too ready to agree to anyconditions by which the bear might be safely secured. 

The Quan was not long in disclosing his plan; and as soon as he hadcommunicated it, all three set to work to aid him in its execution. 

A number of stout stakes were cut--each about six feet in length, andpointed at one end. These were driven into the earth around the outeredge of the icy mass, in a sort of semicircular row; and so as toenclose a small space in front of the aperture. To hold the stakes allthe more firmly, large stones were piled up against them, and theuprights themselves were closely wattled together by the broad flatbranches of the spruce pines that grew near. In this way wasconstructed a fence that a cat could not have crawled through, much lessa bear. One aperture only was left in it, and that was directly infront--a hole at about the height of a man's knee from the ground, andjust big enough to admit the head of a bear--for that was the purposefor which it was intended. 

The next thing done was to roof the whole of this stockade enclosure;and that was accomplished by resting long poles horizontally over it, tying them at the ends to the tops of the uprights, and then coveringthem thickly with _granris_ (the spray lopped from the branches of theevergreen pines). 

It now only remained to get the ice cut of the way, and allow the bearto come forth. That would not have been so easy of accomplishment, hadit not been already partially removed. Before closing up the top, Pouchskin, directed by the Finnish peasant, had cut away most of themass, leaving only a shell; which, although filling up the entrance asbefore, could be easily beaten down, or driven in from the outside ofthe enclosure. 

During the time that the ex-guardsman had been sapping away the ice, hehad been keeping a sharp lookout. He was admonished to do this bycertain noises that, now and then, came rumbling out of the cave; andnot very certain that he was in perfect safety, he had been under someapprehension. The bear, by throwing all his weight against the reducedmass of ice, _might_ break his way out; and as by the constantchiselling the wall grew weaker and thinner, Pouchskin's fears increasedin proportion. He was only too happy, when, having picked the congealedmass to what was thought a sufficient thinness, he desisted from hiswork, and crept out of the enclosure, through the space that had beenkept open for him. 

This was now fenced up as securely as the rest; and it only remained toknock away the icy barricade, and tempt Bruin to come forth. 

The icy wall could be broken in by means of a long boar-spear with whichthe Finnish peasant had provided himself. It was headed with a heavypiece of iron, edged and tipped with the best Swedish steel, and thisbeing jobbed against the ice, and kept constantly at work, soonsplintered the shell into pieces. 

As soon as the Quan saw that he had opened a hole large enough to passthe body of the bear, he drew back his spear, telling the hunter to lookout. 

During the operation, all three had kept watch through crevices in thestockade-wall, holding their guns pointed towards the aperture, andready to give the bear a volley the moment he should show his snout. 

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN. 

THE SPITTING-DEVIL. 

To their disappointment, however, the bear refused to exhibit even asmuch as the tip of his nose, not only while his door was being opened, but afterwards; and they began to think that he might not come forthafter all. 

The Quan assured them that he would be certain to do so in time; butperhaps not for a few hours, till after they should have remained quieta while, and old _nalle_ should fancy they had gone away. 

"He has been a long time without his breakfast, " added the Quan, "andhis stomach will now be talking loudly to him; that will tell him tosteal out for something to eat. No fear of it, masters!"

"But for what purpose have you designed this hole?" inquired Ivan, pointing to the little aperture that had been left in the wattledenclosure. 

"Oh, " replied the peasant, "that is how we kill bears sometimes;especially if we are not rich enough to have a gun. As soon as old_nalle_ rushes out from his den, the first thing he does is to run allround, looking for a chance to break through the fence. Of course hefinds the hole, and pokes his head through it. One of us standsoutside, as you see me now, with a hatchet ready; and we would beclumsy, indeed, if we could not cleave in his skull, or give him such acrack upon it, as would turn him back downwards. You shall see how thebear will rush to this hole the moment he comes out, and then, masters!you shall see!"

Here the Quan gave a significant shake to his hatchet, twirling it withthe dexterity peculiar to his craft, for it so chanced that he was awoodcutter by trade. 

Our hunters, however, saw that this would never do. According to theconditions under which they travelled, the bear must be killed by one ofthemselves; and, therefore, after a little explanation, the Quanresigned his intention and stepped aside. His post, however, wassupplied by the ex-guardsman, who, poising his ponderous axe, stoodready to deal a far heavier, and deadlier, blow than could be given byany woodcutter in Scandinavia. Alexis took charge of Pouchskin's gun, determined to fire it as soon as he had discharged his own rifle; and asIvan had one barrel loaded with ball and the other with slugs, it wasnot likely, against such a formidable battery as was thus prepared forhim, that Bruin could manage to live much longer. 

It now became a question whether they should wait patiently till thebear came out, or whether they might not adopt some mode of tempting himforth, that would act upon him more rapidly than the cravings of hisstomach. 

There could be no harm in trying to reach and stir him up with a pole;and for this purpose the woodcutter stepped aside to find one. 

He very soon succeeded in procuring a long birch sapling--as long as anordinary fishing-rod; and having cleared this of its spray, he insertedit into the cave. To the gratification of the party it was found longenough for the purpose; for by the muffled feel it could only be Bruin'sfur that its point was buried in. It was just as far, however, as thepole would reach; and as it was a slender sapling without any stiffnessin it, they were unable to do anything in the way of giving him a poke. No doubt, had the entrance to his den been wider, even the tickling ofthe pole would have caused him to "turn out;" for a bear, unless badlywounded, will not stand much badgering. It was possible, in this case, that Bruin suspected there was some trap set for him outside--indeed, the noises he had been listening to for more than an hour, must haveadmonished him that all was not as it ought to be; and this perhapsrendered him more wary than was his wont. He might not yet be awarethat his door was open; for the roofed enclosure still kept out thelight as much as the _stalagmite_ had done; and although he might haveheard the icy mass giving way before the axe and spear, he might notunderstand all that. It was necessary, therefore, to coax him as far asthe threshold--so that he might discover that the door of his chamberhad been opened for him. 

The tickling of the pole, however, proved of no service; for, althoughit drew from the huge brute a sniff or two, he still kept to his bed. 

What was to be done? Must they retire, and wait patiently till thecalls of hunger should urge him forth? The day was piercingly cold, andto remain there long would have been unpleasant enough. They might, indeed, have to stay by the cave all day and all night too: for theenclosure had been only slightly put up--merely to check the bear for afew minutes--and if they were to leave him all night to himself, hecould easily tear down the stakes and get off. 

They could not think of deserting the spot for an instant; but to avoida long vigil they set about considering some plan by which Bruin mightbe induced to come forth from his inaccessible retreat. 

A thought occurred to Ivan, who was a quick conceiver--a plan whichpromised well--and that was to make a "spitting-devil, " and send it upinto the cave. It appeared a good idea--at all events, it would not bedifficult to give it a trial. Gunpowder was not scarce with them--sinceRussian roubles were plenty; and Pouchskin, pouring out nearly a quarterof a pound into the palm of his broad hand, commenced spitting upon itand working the powder into a paste. Ivan, who directed this operation, was determined his plan should not fail by any stinginess in regard tothe materials required for carrying it out. 

After a short space of time the plastic fingers of Pouchskin hadelaborated the powder paste into a roll as large as a regalia cigar; andthis being dried slightly near a fire--which they had long beforekindled--was ready for the touch. To the old grenadier was intrustedthe management of the miniature rocket; and, while the young huntersonce more stood to their guns, he proceeded to carry out the design. 

Having thrust his head through the hole intended for the bear, and hisarm through another which he had made for himself, he held the "devil"at arm's length between his finger and thumb. The Quan now took ablazing faggot from the fire, and passing it between the wattles, ignited the _fuse_ which the old grenadier had ingeniously placed in the"devil's" tail. 

As soon as Pouchskin perceived that it was fairly on fire, with anadroit jerk he sent the little rocket up into the cave, as far as hecould throw it; and then jerking himself backward, he seized hold of hisaxe. 

There was a moment of suspense; not long: for almost on the instant abrilliant light shone within the cave, accompanied with a sputtering andwhizzing and cracking, as if half a dozen alarm-clocks had been setgoing at the same time! In the midst of this confusion of noises, andlouder far than any, could be heard a number of sharp wild shrieks, andbefore the rocket had half burnt out, Bruin was seen bolting forth overthe broken fragments of ice. Two shots were fired, almostsimultaneously; but both failed to check his onward rush; and with amighty force he came "bump" against the palisades, causing them to crashand swag as if they would give way. It was fortunate for the huntersthat the stakes stood the shock: for such a set of teeth as that bearexhibited they had never before seen. A single stroke from those pawswould have been enough to crack the thickest skull in creation. 

Ivan gave him his second barrel--the one loaded with slugs, --but it onlyserved to increase his fury; and now rearing up, and then going onall-fours, he kept rushing backward and forward through the enclosure, all the while uttering fierce growls. 

Alexis, meanwhile, had dropped his rifle and taken up the fusil ofPouchskin. His place was at one side of the enclosure. He had alreadygot the barrel through the wattles, and was endeavouring to level itupon the bear--seeking for a mortal part at which he might aim. Thedarkness, however, --for the roofed stockade rendered it dark--combinedwith the quick movements of the animal, hindered him from getting asight to his satisfaction. He knew the importance of making this akilling shot. Should the bear, wounded as he now was, retreat back intohis den, there would be no chance whatever of getting him out again. Alexis thought of this; and therefore resolved not to fire at random, ashe had done before. He knew that a full-grown bear, unless shot in thebrain or heart, can accommodate a score of bullets without being muchinconvenienced by them. 

Knowing this, Alexis was biding his time, when all at once he perceivedthe bear make halt on the front side of the enclosure. He now aimed atthe heart of the huge animal, but before he could pull trigger, a loudcrash sounded in his ear, and Bruin was seen dropping to the ground, where he continued to lie, almost without giving a kick!

It was the axe of Pouchskin that had caused the crash, as its edge ofsteel descended upon the bear's cranium, smashing it in as if it hadbeen an eggshell. As the Quan predicted, the animal had imprudentlypoked his head through the aperture where Pouchskin was standing readyfor him. 

This, of course, finished the affair. It was only necessary to removethe palisades, sling the bear to a tree, and then strip him of hismuch-coveted skin. All this in due time was accomplished; and with therobe once more packed on the shoulders of Pouchskin, the huntersreturned to their headquarters. 

It proved--as the Quan had promised them--to be a black bear; not thathis fur was altogether black, as is the case with the _ursus americanus_and the black bears of India. On the contrary, the hair was brown nearthe roots, and only black at the tips, which, however, gave it theappearance of being black all over the surface; and Alexis knew thatthis was the variety of bear they were in search of. 

Satisfied that they had obtained the skin of the _ursus niger_, it onlyremained for our hunters to pack up their travelling traps, bid adieu tothe cold climate of Scandinavia, and start for the sunny south--for thefar-famed Pyrenees of Spain. 

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN. 

THE PALOMBIERE. 

It is not intended to detail the many incidents that befell them on theway, the chit-chat of steamboats, railroads, and hotels. Their fathercared not to hear of these trifles; he could read enough of suchdelightful stuff in the books of whole legions of travellers; and, asthey did not note anything of this kind in their journal, we are left tosuppose that they encountered the usual pleasures and _desagremens_which all travellers must experience on similar journeys. As money wasno object, they travelled with expedition--making only a short stay inthe great capitals through which they passed, in order to have theirpassports _vised_, and sometimes for the purpose of using the greatemperor's letter for the replenishment of their exchequer. This magicdocument proved all-powerful everywhere they went; and as they knew itwould be so in all corners of the habitable globe, they could rely uponit with perfect confidence. Pouchskin's leathers bag was always wellweighted with the yellow metal, --and _specie_, whatever stamp it maybear, is current all over the world. 

Their journal merely mentions the route followed. From theirhunting-ground they returned down the Tornea river, which, running duenorth and south, of course did not compromise the terms of theircovenant; neither were the conditions infringed by their taking at anytime the backtrack when engaged in the chase, for, as already known, there was a specification in the baron's letter, that allowed of thisdeviation. All that was required of them was that they should notrecross a meridian when on their actual route of travel. 

A ship carried them from Tornea to Dantzic. Hence they passed toBerlin, and on through Frankfort, Stutgard, and Strasbourg, to Paris. Paris, it is true, was a little out of their way; but what Russian couldtravel across Europe without paying a visit to Paris? Pouchskin caredlittle about it. The old grenadier had been there before--in 1815--whenhe was far from being welcome to the Parisians; and Alexis would ratherhave gone by another and more direct route, that is, throughSwitzerland; but the gay Ivan would not hear of such a thing. To seeParis he was determined; and see it he did; though what he or they didthere is not mentioned in the book of the chronicles of our youngbear-hunters. 

From Paris they travelled by rail, almost directly south--though stillslightly westward--to the celebrated baths of Bagneres. Here they foundthemselves not only within sight, but actually among the _foot-hills_ ofthose mountains, for the tourist scarce second in interest to the Alpsthemselves, but perhaps for the naturalist even more interesting thanthese. 

At Bagneres they made but a short stay, only long enough to recruittheir strength by bathing in its thermal springs, and to witness aspectacle which is regarded as the grand lion of the place--the_Palombiere_. 

As you, young reader, may not have heard of the _Palombiere_, and may becurious to know what it is, I give the account of it, which I findrecorded in the journal of Alexis. 

About two miles from Bagneres rises a ridge of considerable elevation--running parallel with the general direction of the Pyrenees, of which itmay be considered an outlying step, or "foot hill" (_pied mont_). Alongthe crest of this hill stands a row of very tall trees, from which thebranches have been carefully lopped, leaving only a little bunch at thetop of each. On coming close to these trees--provided it be in themonths of September or October--you will observe a something betweenthem that resembles a thin gauzy veil of a greyish colour. On gettingstill nearer, you will perceive that this veil is a net--or rather aseries of nets--extended from tree to tree, and filling up all thespaces between them--from the highest point to which the branches havebeen lopped down to within three feet of the ground. 

Another singular object, or series of objects, will long ere this haveattracted your attention. You will see standing, at certain intervalsapart, and about thirty yards in front of the trees, a row of talltapering sticks--so tall that their tops are fifty yards from theground! They might remind you of the masts of a ship; but that thereare in each case two of them together, --the one standing vertically, andthe other bending over to it, with a slight curve. On this account youmay be more struck with their resemblance to the "shears" seen inshipyards, by which the masts are "stepped" into their places. Thesemasts, as we may call them, are not all of one stick of wood, but ofseveral pieces spliced together; and notwithstanding their prodigiouslength--fifty yards, you will remember--they are of no great thickness. In fact, although the two are joined together at the top--as we shallpresently have occasion to show--when a strong wind blows, both bend, and vibrate back and forward like an elastic trout rod. At their basesthey are only five feet apart; and the curving one is intended to act asa stay to the other. Both, as already stated, meet at the top, andlooking up you will see--while the sight makes you dizzy--a littleroundish object at the point of the junction. It is a basket set therefirmly, and just big enough to hold the body of a man. If you lookcarefully you will see a man actually within it; but, to quoteShakespeare's quaint simile, he will appear to your eyes not half asgross as a beetle! In all likelihood he is not a man, but only a boy;for it is boys who are selected to perform this elevated and apparentlydangerous service. 

How did the boy get there? will probably be your next question. Byrunning your eye along the curved pole, you will perceive a row ofprojecting pegs extending from bottom to top. They are quite two feetapart; but had you been present while that youth was making the ascent--which he did by the help of these pegs--you would have seen him scrambleup as rapidly, and with as little concern, as a sailor would ascend theratlines of a ship! It is his trade to do so, and practice has made himas nimble as he is intrepid; but you, who are unaccustomed to witnesssuch tall gymnastics, cannot help again recalling Shakespeare, andexclaiming, with the great dramatic poet, "Fearful trade!" Quite asfearful, indeed, as the gathering of "samphire. "

But what is this trade? What is all this contrivance for--these netsand tall masts, with "crows' nests" at their tops? What are the boysdoing up there? And what are they about below--those men, women, andchildren--a crowd composed of all ages and all sexes? What are theydoing?

_Pigeon-catching_. That is what they are doing, or rather what they areaiming to do, as soon as the opportunity offers. These people aresimply pigeon-catchers. 

What sort of pigeons? and where do they come from? These questions mustbe answered. 

To the first, then, the answer is the common European wild pigeon(_columba palumbis_). It is well-known in England by the name of"wood-pigeon, " and in France it is called _ramier_. In England thewood-pigeon is not migratory. In that country there is a much milderwinter than is experienced in the same or even a more southerly latitudeon the Continent. This enables the pigeon to find food throughout allthe year, and it therefore remains in England. In continentalcountries--Prance among the number--the severity of the winter forces itsouthward; and it annually migrates into Africa--the supposed limit ofits flight being the chain of the Atlas mountains. Of course thewood-pigeon is only one of many birds that make this annual tour, taking, as the rest do, a "return ticket. "

Now the _ramiers_ of France, in passing southward, must ply their wingsa little more strenuously to mount over the snowy summits of thePyrenees; but they only commence ascending to this higher elevation whennear the mountains. The ridge at Bagneres chances to lie in the line oftheir flight--of course, not of all of them, but such as may be sweepingalong in that particular meridian; and, passing between the tall treesalready mentioned, they get caught in the meshes of the nets. Themoment they strike these--several of them coming "butt" against one atthe same instant, --a trigger is pulled by the men--who are belowconcealed under screens--and this trigger, acting on a string, causesthe net to drop, with the fluttering victims safely secured in itsmeshes. 

When the flight has passed, the women, girls, boys, and even thechildren, rush forth from their hiding-places; and, seizing thestruggling birds, put a quick termination to their fruitless efforts, bybiting each of them in the neck. Old, half-toothless crones--for thisis especially their part of the performance--will be seen thus givingthe final _coup_ to the beautiful but unfortunate wanderers!

And still we have not explained what the boys are doing up yonder. Well, we shall now announce their _metier_. Each has taken up with hima number of little billets of wood, fashioned something like the letterT, and about six inches in length. When this billet is flung into theair, and twirls about in its descent, it exhibits some resemblance--though not a very close one--to a flying pigeon-hawk. The resemblance, however, is near enough to "do" the pigeons; for when they are withinabout one hundred yards of the crows' nest, the boy launches his billetinto the air, and the birds, believing it to be a hawk, immediately dipseveral yards in their flight--as they may be seen to do when a realhawk makes his appearance. This descent usually brings them low enoughto pass between the trees; and of course the old women soon get theirteeth upon them. 

The pigeon-catching is not free to every one who may take a "fancy" toit. There are pigeon-catchers by trade; who, with their families, follow it as a regular calling during the season, while it lasts; andthis, as already stated, is in the months of September and October. The_Palombiere_, or pigeon-ridge, belongs to the communal authorities, wholet it out in sections to the people that follow the calling ofpigeon-netting; and these, in their turn, dispose of the produce oftheir nets in the markets of Bagneres and other neighbouring towns. 

Every one knows how excellent for the table is the flesh of thisbeautiful bird: so much is it esteemed, that even at Bagneres, in theseason of their greatest plenty, a pair will fetch a market price offrom twelve to twenty sous. 

CHAPTER NINETEEN. 

THE PYRENEES. 

Speaking geologically, the Pyrenees extend along the whole north ofSpain, from the Mediterranean to the province of Galicia on theAtlantic; and in this sense the chain may be regarded as between six andseven hundred miles in length. 

More properly, however, the term "Pyrenees" is limited to that portionof the range which lies directly between France and Spain; in otherwords, along the neck or isthmus of the Spanish peninsula. Thuslimited, the range is less than half the above length, or about threehundred miles; while its average breadth is fifty. 

Though less elevated than the Alps, the Pyrenees mountains are nomolehills. Their highest peak, Maladetta, towers above 11, 000 feet; andseveral others are of nearly equal height--while more than forty summitsreach the elevation of 9, 000!

The most elevated peaks are near the centre of the Pyrenees, the rangegradually dipping downward as the extremities are approached. For thisreason the most practicable passes are found near the eastern andwestern ends; though many also exist in the central part of the chain. In all, there are fifty passes or "ports, " as they are called, leadingfrom the French to the Spanish side; but only five of these arepracticable for wheeled vehicles; and a large number are only known (orat all events only travelled) by the smugglers--_contrabandistas_--aclass of gentry who swarm on both sides of the Pyrenean frontier. 

The superficial extent of these mountains is about 11, 000 or 12, 000square miles. Part of this is French, and the remainder Spanishterritory. As a general rule, the "divide, " or main axis of the ridgeforms the boundary line; but in the eastern section, the Frenchterritory has been extended beyond the natural frontier. 

The geological formation of the Pyrenees consists both of primitive andsecondary rocks--the latter being greater in mass, and composed ofargillaceous schist, grauwacke (schistose and common), and limestone. Mines of lead, iron, and copper are found in this formation--the leadcontaining a proportion of silver. The primitive rocks are granite; andrun in zones or belts, extended lengthwise in the direction of thechain; and it is in the rupture between these and the transition strata, that the chemical springs, for which the Pyrenees are so famous, gushforth. Of these remarkable fountains--many of them almost at boilingheat--no less than 253 have been discovered in different parts of therange. A great number of them are celebrated for their medicinalvirtues, and are the favourite summer resorts of invalids, as well asthe votaries of pleasure, from all parts of the world--but moreespecially from France and Spain. 

The botany of the Pyrenees is full of interest. It may be regarded asan epitome of the whole European _flora_: since scarcely a plant exists, from the Mediterranean to the Arctic sea, that has not a representativespecies in some part of this mountain chain. In the valleys and lowerslopes of the mountains the forest is chiefly composed of Lombardypoplars and sycamores; a little higher, the Spanish chestnut, oaks, hazels, and alders, the mountain ash and birch trees abound; and stillfarther up you enter the region of the pines--the _pinus sylvestris_growing in dense continuous forests, while the more graceful "stonepine" is seen only in isolated groups or scattered trees. Everywhere arich _flora_ meets the eye; flowers of the most lovely hues reflected incrystal rivulets--for the waters of the Pyrenees are pure beyondcomparison, such a thing as a turbid stream being unknown throughout thewhole range. 

Above the pine forests the mountains exhibit a zone of nakeddeclivities, stretching upward to the line of congelation--which in thePyrenees is higher than upon the Alps. The former has been variouslyestimated: some fixing it at 8, 300 feet, while others raise it as highas 9, 000; but, indeed, it would be more just to say that the snow-linedepends greatly upon the locality of the particular mountain, and itssouthern or northern exposure. 

In any case, it is more than 1, 000 feet higher than on the Alps; thesuperior elevation being accounted for, by the more southern latitude ofthe Franco-Spanish chain. Perhaps the proximity of the sea has more todo with this phenomenon than the trifling difference of latitude?

Upon the higher declivities and summits, snowfields and glaciers abound, as in the Alps; and even in some of the passes these phenomena areencountered. Most of the passes are higher than those of the Alps; butin consequence of the greater elevation of the snow-line, they remainopen throughout the winter. At all seasons, however, they are by nomeans easy to traverse; and the cold winds that whistle through them arescarce to be endured. The Spaniards, who have a proverbial expressionfor almost every idea, have not neglected this one. In the ports(_puertos_) of the Pyrenees, say they, "the father waits not for hisson, nor the son for his father. "

If the passes across these mountains are higher than those of the Alps, the transverse valleys are the reverse; those of the Pyrenees being ingeneral much lower. The consequence is, that from the bottom of thesevalleys the mountains themselves appear far loftier than any of theAlpine peaks, --the eye taking in at one view a greater angle ofelevation. 

The _fauna_ of the Pyrenean chain, though less full and varied than its_flora_, is nevertheless of great interest. In the more densely woodedsolitudes, and higher declivities of the mountains, a large bear isfound, whose light fulvous-coloured body and black paws pronounce him adifferent animal from the _ursus arctos_. If he be the same species, asnaturalists assert, he claims at least to be a permanent variety, anddeserves his distinctive appellation of _ursus pyrenaicus_. 

Wolves abound; Spanish wolves, long famed for their fierceness; thecommon whitish-brown wolf (_canis lupus_), and a darker and still largervariety--in short, a black wolf, designated the "wolf of the Pyrenees, "though it is equally a denizen of the other mountain _sierras_ ofPortugal and Spain. 

The European lynx (_felis lynx_), and the wild cat, both skulk throughthe Pyrenean forests; the former now only rarely seen. Along the nakedcliffs leaps the "izzard, " which is identical with the chamois of theAlps (_antelope rupicapra_); and in the same localities, but more rarelyseen, the "bouquetin, " or "tur" (_aigocerus pyrenaicus_)--a species ofibex, _not_ identical with the _capra ibex_ of Linnaeus and the Alpinemountains. 

Birds of many European species frequent the lower forests of thePyrenees, or fill the sheltered valleys with their vocal music; while, soaring above the mountain summits, may be seen the great vulture-eagle, or "lammergeyer, " watching with greedy eye the feeble lambkin, or thenew-born kid of the ibex and izzard. 

With such knowledge of their natural history, it was with feelings of noordinary interest that our young hunters turned their faces towards thatvast serried rampart that separates the land of the Gaul from thecountry of the Iberian. 

It was by the Val d'Ossau, literally the "valley of the bear, " that theymade their approach to the mountains, --that valley celebrated as theresidence and hunting-ground of Henri of Navarre: but now, in moderndays, noted for its valuable thermal springs of _Eaux Bonnes_ and _EauxChaudes_. 

Up this mountain gorge went our heroes, their faces turned southward, and their eyes carried high up to the Pic du Midi d'Ossau--the mountainof the bears--an appropriate name for that beacon which was nowdirecting their course. 

CHAPTER TWENTY. 

AN ODD AVALANCHE. 

It is needless to say that the young Russians were delighted with thescenes that met their eyes in this fair southern land; and many of themare found faithfully described in their journal. They noted thepicturesque dresses of the Pyrenean peasantry--so different from theeternal blue blouse which they had met in northern and central France. Here was worn the "barret, " of scarlet or white, the rich brown jacketand red sash of the peculiar costumes of the Basque and Bearnaispeasants--a fine race of men, and one, too, historically noble. Theysaw carts drawn by large limbed cream-coloured oxen; and passed flocksof sheep and milch goats, tended by shepherds in picturesque dresses, and guarded by numbers of large Pyrenean dogs, whose chief duty was toprotect their charge from the wolves. They saw men standing knee-deepin the water, surrounded by droves of pigs--the latter voluntarilysubmitting themselves to a process of washing, which resulted inproducing over their skins a roseate, pinky appearance. It could beseen, too, that these _pachyderms_ not only submitted voluntarily to theoperation, but with a keen sense of enjoyment, as evinced by theircontented grunts, and by their long tails, hanging "kinkless" while thelarge calabashes of water were poured over their backs. Perhaps to thiscareful management of the Pyrenean pigs are the beautiful "Bayonne hams"indebted for their celebrity. 

Further on, our travellers passed a _plumire_, or "hen-bath. " Here wasa tank--another thermal spring--in which the water was something morethan "tepid. " In fact, it was almost on the boil; and yet in this tanka number of women were ducking their hens--not, as might be supposed, dead ones, in order to scald off their feathers, but live fowls, to ridthem, as they said, of parasitical insects, and make them feel morecomfortable! As the water was almost hot enough to _parboil_ the poorbirds, and as the women held them in it immersed to the necks, the_comfort_ of the thing--so thought our travellers--was rather a doubtfulquestion. 

A little further on, another "custom" of the French Pyrenees came underthe eyes of the party. Their ears were assailed by a singular medley ofsounds, that rose from a little valley near the side of the road. Onlooking into the valley, they saw a crowd of forty or fifty women, allengaged in the same operation, which was that of flax-hackling. Theylearnt from this that; in the Pyrenean countries the women are thehacklers of flax; and that, instead of each staying at her own home toperform the operation, a large number of them meet together in someshaded spot, bringing their unhackled flax along with them; and there, amidst jesting and laughing and singing, the rough staple is reduced toits shining and silky fineness. 

Still another curious custom was observed; but this was further on, andhigher up the sides of the mountains. Their observation of it wasattended with some degree of danger, and therefore came very close onbeing an "adventure. " For this reason it found a place among the eventsrecorded in their journal. 

It should be remarked, that all three were mounted--Alexis and Ivan uponstout, active ponies, of that race for which the Pyrenees, --especiallythe western section of them, --are celebrated. Pouchskin's mount was notof the genus _equus_, nor yet an _asinus_, but a hybrid of bothgenera, --in short, a mule. 

It was a French mule, and a very large one: for it required a good-sizedquadruped of the kind to make an appropriate roadster for theex-grenadier of the Imperial guard. It was not a very fat mule, however, but raw-boned and gaunt as a Pyrenean wolf. 

Of course these animals were all hired ones--obtained at Eaux Bonnes, and engaged for the trip across the Pyrenees to the Spanish side--asalso to be used in any deviations that the hunters should think properto make, while engaged in the pursuit of the bear. 

From the nearest village on the Spanish side, the animals were to besent back to their owner; for it was not the intention of our travellersto return to the French territory. 

Having crossed the mountains, and accomplishing the object for whichthey had visited them, their course would then be continued southward, through Spain. 

Along with them--also mounted on muleback--was a fourth individual, whose services they had secured. His _metier_ was manifold--on thisoccasion combining in his single person at least three purposes. First, he was to serve them as guide; secondly, he was to bring back the hiredhorses; and, thirdly, he was to aid them in the "chasse" of the bear:for it so happened that this man-of-all-work was one of the most noted"izzard-hunters" of the Pyrenees. It is scarcely correct to say it_happened_ so. Rather was it a thing of design than chance; for it wason account of his fame as a hunter, that he had been engaged for thetriple duty he was now called upon to fulfil. 

The four travellers, then, all mounted as we have described, wereascending a very steep declivity. They had left the last hamlet--andeven the last house--behind them; and were now climbing one of theoutlying spurs that project many miles from the main axis of themountains. The road they were following scarcely deserved the name;being a pack-road, or mere bridle-path; and so sleep was the ascent, that it was necessary to zigzag nearly a dozen times, before the summitof the ridge could be attained. 

While entering upon this path, and near the base of the ridge, they hadnoticed the forms of men far above them, moving about the summit, as ifengaged in some work. Their guide told them that these men werefaggot-cutters, whose business was to procure firewood for the towns inthe valley. 

There was nothing in this bit of information to produce astonishment. What _did_ astonish our travellers, however, was the mode in which thesemen transported their firewood down the mountain, of which, shortlyafter, they were treated to an exhibition. As they were zigzagging upthe mountain-path, their ears were all at once saluted by a noise thatresembled a crashing of stones, mingled with a crackling of sticks. Thenoise appeared to proceed from above; and, on looking up, they beheld anumber of dark objects coming in full rush down the declivity. Theseobjects were of rounded form--in fact, they were bundles of faggots--andso rapidly did they roll over, and make way down the mountain, that hadour travellers chanced to be in their track, they might have found somedifficulty in getting out of the way. Such was their reflection at themoment; and they were even thanking their stars that they had escapedthe danger, when all at once a fresh avalanche of faggots was launchedfrom above; and these were evidently bounding straight towards theparty! It was impossible to tell which way to go--whether to rushforward or draw back: for what with the inequality of the mountain-side, and the irregular rolling of the bundles, they could not tell the exactdirection they would take. All therefore drew up, and waited the resultin silent apprehension. Of course they had not long to wait--scarce asecond--for the huge bundles bounding on, each moment with increasedimpetus, came down with the suddenness of a thunderclap; and before thewords "Jack Robinson" could have been pronounced, they went whizzingpast with the velocity of aerolites, and with such a force, that had oneof them struck either mule or pony it would have hurled both thequadruped and its rider to the bottom of the mountain. It was onlytheir good fortune that saved them: for in such a place it would havebeen impossible for the most adroit equestrian to have got out of theway. The path was not the two breadths of a horse; and to have wheeledround, or even drawn back upon it, would have been a risk of itself. 

They rode on, again congratulating themselves on their escape; but fancytheir consternation when they found themselves once more, and for thethird time, exposed to the very same danger! Again came a set ofbundles rolling and tearing down the slope, the billets rattling andcrackling as they rolled; again they went swishing by; again, by themerest accident, did they miss the travellers, as they stood upon thepath. 

Now, it might be supposed that the faggots were being launched all alongthe ridge of the hill; and that, go which way they might, our partywould still be exposed to the danger. Not so. The bundles were allrolled down at one particular place--where the slope was most favourablefor this purpose--but it was the zigzag path, which every now and thenobliqued across the line of the wood-avalanche, that had thus repeatedlyplaced them in peril. 

As they had yet to "quarter" the declivity several times before theycould reach the summit, they were more careful about approaching theline of descent; and whenever they drew near it, they put their poniesand mules to as good a speed as they could take out of them. 

Though all four succeeded in reaching the summit in safety, it did nothinder Pouchskin from pouring out his vial of wrath on the heads of theoffending woodcutters; and if they could have only understood hisRussian, they would have heard themselves called by a good many hardnames, and threatened with a second pursuit of Moscow. "Frog-eatingFrenchmen!" was the very mildest title which the ex-guardsman bestowedupon them; but as his Russian was not translated, of course the phrasefell harmless--else it would have undoubtedly been retaliated by a tauntabout "tallow. "

The "izzard-hunter" swore at them to more purpose; for he, too, havingundergone equal risk with the rest of the party, had equally goodreasons for being angry; and giving utterance to a long string ofexecrations with all the volubility of a Bearnais, he further threatenedthem with the terrors of the law. 

As the woodcutters, slightly stupefied by this unexpected attack, submitted with tolerable grace, and said nothing in reply, theizzard-hunter at length cooled down, and the party proceeded on theirway; Pouchskin, as he rode off, shaking his clenched fist at the staringlog-choppers, and hissing out in angry aspirate another Russianshibboleth, which neither could nor should be translated. 

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE. 

A MEETING WITH MULETEERS. 

A little beyond the scene of their encounter with the woodcutters, thepath entered among the gorges of the mountains, and the level plains ofFrance were for a time lost to their view. The route they werefollowing was a mere bridle-track, quite impracticable for carriages, but leading to one of the "ports" already mentioned, by which they couldpass through to the Spanish side. Through this port a considerabletraffic is carried on between the two countries--most of the carryingbeing done by Spanish muleteers, who cross the mountains conductinglarge trains of mules--all, except those upon which they themselvesride, laden with packs and bales of merchandise. 

That such a traffic was carried over this route, our Russian travellersneeded no other evidence than what came under their own eyes; forshortly after, on rounding a point of rock, they saw before them a largedrove of mules, gaily caparisoned with red cloth and stamped leather, and each carrying its pack. The gang had halted on a platform of nogreat breadth; and the drivers--about a dozen men in all--were seenseated upon the rocks, a little way in advance of the animals. Eachwore a capacious cloak of brown cloth--a favourite colour among thePyrenean Spaniards; and what with their swarthy complexions, beardedlips, and wild attire, it would have been pardonable enough to havemistaken them for a band of brigands, or, at all events, a party of_contrabandistas_. 

They were neither one nor the other, however; but honest Spanishmuleteers, on their way to a French market, with commodities produced onthe southern side of the mountains. 

As our travellers came up, they were in the act of discussing aluncheon, which consisted simply of black bread, tough goat's-milkcheese, and thin Malaga wine--the last carried in a skin bag, out ofwhich each individual drank in his turn, simply holding up the bag andpouring the wine by a small jet down his throat. 

They were good-humoured fellows, and invited our travellers to tastetheir wine; which invitation it would have been ill-mannered to refuse. Ivan and Alexis emptied some out into their silver cups--which theycarried slung conveniently to their belts; but Pouchskin not having hiscan so ready, essayed to drink the wine after the fashion of themuleteers. But the goat-skin bag, clumsily manipulated in the hands ofthe old guardsman, instead of sending the stream into his mouth, jettedit all over his face and into his eyes, blinding and half-choking him!As he stood in his stultified attitude, wine-skin in hand, the preciousfluid running down his nose, and dripping from the tips of his grandmustachios, he presented a picture that caused the muleteers to laughtill the tears ran down their cheeks; shouting out their _bravos_ andother exclamations, as if they were applauding some exquisite piece ofperformance in a theatre. 

Pouchskin took it all in good part, and the muleteers pressed him to tryagain; but, not caring to expose himself to a fresh burst of ridicule, the old grenadier borrowed the cup of one of his young masters; and bythe help of this managed matters a little more to his mind. As the winetasted good to the old soldier's palate, and as the hospitable muleteersinvited him to drink as much as he pleased, it was not until thegoat-skin bag exhibited symptoms of collapse, that he returned it to itsowners. 

Perhaps had Pouchskin not indulged so freely in the seducing Malagatipple, he might have avoided a very perilous adventure which befell himalmost on the instant, and which we shall now relate. 

Our travellers, after exchanging some further civilities with themuleteers, had once more mounted, and were about proceeding on theirway. Pouchskin, riding his great French jennet, had started in theadvance. Just in front of him, however, the pack mules were standing ina cluster--not only blocking up the path, but barring the way on bothsides--so that to get beyond them it would be necessary to pass throughtheir midst. The animals all seemed tranquil enough--some picking atthe bushes that were within their reach, but most of them standingperfectly still, occasionally shaking their long ears, or changing oneleg to throw the weight upon another. Pouchskin saw that it wasnecessary to pass among them; and, probably, had he squeezed quietlythrough, they might have remained still, and taken no notice of him. But, elated with the wine he had drunk, the ex-grenadier, instead offollowing this moderate course, drove his spurs into his great Frenchhybrid, and with a loud charging yell--such as might have issued fromthe throat of a Cossack--he dashed right into the midst of the drove. 

Whether it was because the animal he bestrode was French, or whethersomething in Pouchskin's voice had sounded ill in their ears, it is notpossible to say, but all, at once the whole Spanish _mulada_ wasperceived to be in motion--each individual mule rushing towardsPouchskin with pricked ears, open mouth, and tail elevated in the air!It was too late for him to hear the cry of the izzard-hunter, "_prenez-garde_!" or the synonym, "_guarda te_!" of the muleteers. Hemay have heard both these cautionary exclamations, but they reached himtoo late to be of any service to him: for before he could have countedsix, at least twice that number of mules had closed round him, and witha simultaneous scream commenced snapping and biting at both him and hisFrench roadster with all the fury of famished wolves! In vain did thestalwart jennet defend itself with its shod hoofs, in vain did its riderlay round him with his whip: for not only did the Spanish mules assailhim with their teeth, but, turning tail as well, they sent their heelswhistling around his head, and now and then thumping against his legs, until his leather boots and breeches cracked under their kicks!

Of course the muleteers, on perceiving Pouchskin's dilemma, had rushedinstantaneously to the rescue; and with loud cries and cracking of theirwhips--as muleteers alone can crack them--were endeavouring to beat offthe assailants. But, with all their exertions, backed by theirauthority over the animals, Pouchskin might have fared badly enough, hadnot an opportunity offered for extricating himself. His animal, fleeingfrom the persecution of its Spanish enemies, had rushed in among someboulders of rock. Thither it was hotly pursued; and Pouchskin wouldagain have been overtaken, had he not made a very skilful and extensiveleap out of the saddle, and landed himself on a ledge of rock. Fromthis he was able to clamber still higher, until he had reached a pointthat entirely cleared him of the danger. 

The French jennet, however, had still to sustain the attack of theinfuriated mules; but, now that it was relieved from the encumbrance ofits heavy rider, it gained fresh confidence in its long legs; and makinga dash through the midst of the _mulada_, it struck off up themountain-path, and galloped clear out of sight. The mules, encumberedwith their packs, did not show any inclination to follow, and the dramawas thus brought to a termination. 

The woe-begone look of the old guardsman, as he stood perched upon thehigh pinnacle of rock, was again too much for the muleteers; and one andall of them gave utterance to fresh peals of laughter. His youngmasters were too much concerned about their faithful Pouchskin to giveway to mirth; but on ascertaining that he had only received a fewinsignificant bruises, --thanks to the Spanish mules not being shod, --they, too, were very much disposed to have a laugh at his expense. Alexis was of opinion that their follower had made rather free with thewine-skin; and therefore regarded the chastisement rather in the lightof a just retribution. 

It cost the izzard-hunter a chase before Pouchskin's runaway could berecovered; but the capture of the jennet was at length effected; and, all things being set to-rights, a parting salute was once more exchangedwith the muleteers, and the travellers proceeded on their way. 

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO. 

THE PYRENEAN BEARS. 

It was well they had the izzard-hunter for a guide, for without him theymight have searched a long time without finding a bear. These animals, although plenteous enough in the Pyrenees some half-century ago, are nowonly to be met with in the most remote and solitary places. Suchforest-tracts, as lie well into the interior gorges of the mountains, and where the lumberer's axe never sounds in his ears, are the winterhaunts of the Pyrenean bear; while in summer he roams to a higherelevation--along the lower edge of the snowfields and glaciers, where hefinds the roots and bulbs of many Alpine plants, and even lichens, congenial to his taste. He sometimes steals into the lower valleys, where these are but sparsely cultivated; and gathers a meal of youngmaize, or potatoes, where such are grown. Of truffles he is as fond asa Parisian sybarite, --scenting them with a keenness far excelling thatof the regular truffle dog, and "rooting" them out from under the shadeof the great oak trees, where these rare delicacies are inexplicablyproduced. 

Like his near congener, the brown bear, he is frugivorous; and, likemost other members of their common family, he possesses a sweet tooth, and will rob bees of their honey whenever he can find a hive. He iscarnivorous at times, and not unfrequently makes havoc among the flocksthat in summer are fed far up on the declivities of the mountains; butit has been observed by the shepherds, that only odd individuals aregiven to this sanguinary practice, and, as a general rule, the bear willnot molest their sheep. On this account, a belief exists among themountaineers that there are two kinds of bears in the Pyrenees; one, aneater of fruits, roots, and _larvae_, --the other, of more carnivoroushabits, that eats flesh, and preys upon such animals as he can catch. The latter they allege to be larger, of more fierce disposition, andwhen assailed, caring not to avoid an encounter with man. The facts maybe true, but the deduction erroneous. The izzard-hunter's opinion wasthat the Pyrenean bears were all of one species; and that, if there weretwo kinds, one was a younger and more unsophisticated sort, the other abear whom greater age has rendered more savage in disposition. The sameremark will apply to the Pyrenean bear that is true of the _ursusarctos_, --viz. , having once eaten flesh, he acquires a taste for it; andto gratify this, of course the fiercest passions of his nature arecalled into play. Hunger may have driven him to his first meal offlesh-meat; and afterwards he seeks it from choice. 

The izzard-hunter's father remembered when bears were common enough inthe lower valleys; and then not only did the flocks of sheep and goatssuffer severely, but the larger kinds of cattle were often dragged downby the ravenous brutes--even men lost their lives in encounters withthem! In modern times, such occurrences were rare, as the bears kepthigh up the mountains, where cattle were never taken, and where men wentvery seldom. The hunter stated, that the bears were much sought afterby hunters like himself, as their skins were greatly prized, and fetcheda good price; that the young bears were also very valuable, and tocapture a den, of cubs was esteemed a bit of rare good luck: since thesewere brought up to be used in the sports of bear-baiting andbear-dancing, spectacles greatly relished in the frontier towns ofFrance. 

He knew of no particular mode for taking bears. Their chase was tooprecarious to make it worth while; and they were only encounteredaccidentally by the izzard-hunters, when in pursuit of their own regulargame. Then they were killed by being shot, if old ones; and if young, they captured them by the aid of their dogs. 

"So scarce are they, " added the hunter, "that I have killed only threethis whole season; but I know where there's a fourth--a fine fellow too;and if you feel inclined--"

The young Russians understood the hint. Money is all-powerfuleverywhere; and a gold coin will conduct to the den of a Pyrenean bear, where the keenest-scented hound or the sharpest-sighted hunter wouldfail to find it. In an instant almost, the bargain was made. Tendollars for the haunt of the bear!

The _Pic du Midi d'Ossau_ was now in sight; and, leaving the beaten paththat passed near its base, our hunters turned off up a lateral ravine. The sides and bottom of this ravine were covered with a stunted growthof pine-trees; but as they advanced further into it, the trees assumedgreater dimensions--until at length they were riding through a tall andstately forest. It was, to all _appearance_, as wild and primitive asif it had been on the banks of the Amazon or amid the Cordilleras of theAndes. Neither track nor trail was seen--only the paths made by wildbeasts, or such small rodent animals as had their home there. 

The izzard-hunter said that he had killed lynxes in this forest; and atnight he would not care to be alone in it, as it was a favourite hauntof the black wolves. With, such company, however, he had no fear: asthey could kindle fires and keep the wolves at bay. 

The neighbourhood, in which he expected to find the bear, was more thantwo miles from the place where they had entered the forest. He knew theexact spot where the animal was at that moment lying--that is, he knewits cave. He had seen it only a few days before going into this cave;but as he had no dogs with him, and no means of getting the bear out, hehad only marked the place, intending to return, with a comrade to helphim. Some business had kept him at Eaux Bonnes, till the arrival of thestrangers; and learning their intentions, he had reserved the prize forthem. He had now brought his dogs--two great creatures they were, evidently of lupine descent--and with these Bruin might be baited tillhe should come forth from his cave. But that plan was only to be triedas a last resource. The better way would be to wait till the bearstarted out on his midnight ramble, --a thing he would be sure to do, --then close up the mouth of the cave, and lie in ambush for his return. He would "not come home till morning, " said the izzard-hunter; and theywould have light to take aim, and fire at him from their differentstations. 

It seemed a feasible plan, and as our adventurers now placed themselvesin the hands of the native hunter, it was decided they should halt wherethey were, kindle a fire, and make themselves as comfortable as theycould, until the hour when Bruin might be expected to go out upon hismidnight prowl. 

A roaring fire was kindled; and Pouchskin's capacious haversack beingturned inside out, all four were soon enjoying their dinner-supper withthat zest well-known to those who have ridden twenty miles up a steepmountain-road. 

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE. 

THE IZZARD-HUNTER. 

They passed the time pleasantly enough, listening to the stories of theizzard-hunter, who related to them much of the lore current among thepeasantry of the mountains--tales of the chase, and of the contrabandtrade carried on between Spain and France, besides many anecdotes aboutthe Peninsular war, when the French and English armies were campaigningin the Pyrenees. In this conversation Pouchskin took part: for nothingwas of greater interest to the old soldier than _souvenirs_ of thosegrand times, when Pouchskin entered Paris. The conversation of theizzard-hunter related chiefly to his own calling, and upon this theme hewas enthusiastic. He told them of all the curious habits of the izzard;and among others that of its using its hooked horns to let itself downfrom the cliffs--a fancy which is equally in vogue among the chamoishunters of the Alps, but which Alexis did not believe, although he didnot say so--not wishing to throw a doubt on the veracity of their guide. The latter, however, when closely questioned upon the point, admittedthat he had never himself been an eye-witness of this little bit of goatgymnastics; he had only heard of it from other hunters, who said theyhad seen it; and similar, no doubt, would be the answer of every one whospoke the truth about this alleged habit of the chamois. The fact is, that this active creature needs no help from its horns. Its hoofs aresufficient to carry it along the very narrowest ledges; and the immenseleaps it can take either upward or downward, can be compared to nothingbut the flight of some creature furnished with wings. Its hoof, too, issure, as its eye is unerring. The chamois never slips upon thesmoothest rocks--any more than would a squirrel upon the branch of atree. 

Our travellers questioned the izzard-hunter about the profits of hiscalling. They were surprised to find that the emolument was sotrifling. For the carcass of an izzard he received only ten francs; andfor the skins two or three more! The flesh or venison was chieflypurchased by the landlords of the hotels--of which there are hundreds atthe different watering-places on the French side of the Pyrenees. Thevisitors were fond of izzard, and called for it at the table. Perhapsthey did not relish it so much as they pretended to do; but coming fromgreat cities, and places where they never saw a chamois, they wished tobe able to say they had eaten of its flesh. In this conjecture theizzard-hunter was, perhaps, not far out. A considerable quantity ofgame of other kinds is masticated from a like motive. 

It was suggested by Ivan, that, with such a demand for the flesh, theizzard should fetch a better price. Ten francs was nothing?

"Ah!" replied the hunter with a sigh, "that is easily explained, monsieur! The hotel-keepers are too cunning, both for us and theirguests. If we were to charge more, they would not take it off ourhands. "

"But they would be under the necessity of having it, since their guestscall for it. "

"So they do; and if there were no _goats_, our izzard-venison would sellat a higher price. "

"How?" demanded Ivan, puzzled to make out the connection between goatsand izzard-venison. 

"Goats and izzards are too much alike, monsieur--that is, after beingskinned and cut up. The hotel-keeper knows this, and often makes`Nanny' do duty for izzard. Many a hotel traveller at Eaux Bonnes maybe heard praising our izzard's flesh, when it is only a quarter of youngkid he's been dining upon. Ha! ha! ha!"

And the hunter laughed at the cheat--though he well knew that itspractice seriously affected the income of his own calling. 

But, indeed, if the truth had been told, the man followed the chase farless from a belief in its being a remunerative profession, than from aninnate love for the hunter's life. So enthusiastic was he upon thetheme, that it was easy to see he would not have exchanged his callingfor any other--even had the change promised him a fortune! It is sowith professional hunters in all parts of the world, who submit tohardships, and often the greatest privations, for that still sweeterprivilege of roaming the woods and wilds at will, and being free fromthe cares and trammels that too often attach themselves to social life. 

Conversing on such topics, the party sat around the bivouac fire untilafter sunset, when their guide admonished them that they would do wellto take a few hours of sleep. There was no necessity for going afterthe bear until a very late hour--that is, until near morning--for thenthe beast would be most likely to be abroad. If they went too soon, andfound him still in his cave, it was not so certain that even the dogscould prevail on him to turn out. It might be a large cavern. He mightgive battle to the dogs inside; and big as they were, they would beworsted in an encounter of that sort: since a single blow from the pawof a bear is sufficient to silence the noisiest individual of the caninekind. The dogs--as the hunter again repeated--should only be used as alast resource. The other plan promised better; as the bear, once shutout of his cave, would be compelled to take to the woods. The dogscould then follow him up by the fresh scent; and unless he shouldsucceed in finding some other cavern in which to ensconce himself, theymight count upon coming up with him. It was not uncommon for thePyrenean bear, when pursued by dogs and men, to take to a tree; and thiswould be all that their hearts could desire: since in a tree the bearwould be easily reached by the bullets of their guns. Besides, theymight have a chance, when he returned to his closed cave, to shoot himdown at once; and that would end the matter without further trouble. 

It was not necessary to go to the cave until near morning--just earlyenough to give them time to close up the entrance, and set themselves inambush before day broke. On this account the guide recommended them totake some sleep. He would answer for it that they should be waked up intime. 

This advice was cheerfully accepted and followed. Even Pouchskinrequired repose, after the rough handling he had received at the mouthsof the mules; and he was now quite as ready as his young masters to wraphimself up in his ample grenadier great-coat, and surrender himself intothe arms of the Pyrenean Morpheus. 

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR. 

THE AMBUSCADE. 

True to his promise, the izzard-hunter awoke them about an hour beforedawn; and having saddled and bridled their animals, they mounted androde off. Among the great tree trunks it was very dark; but the hunterknew the ground; and, after groping along for half a mile farther, andsomewhat slowly, they arrived at the base of a cliff. Keeping alongthis for some distance farther, they came at length to the place oftheir destination--the mouth of the cave. Even through the gloom, theycould see a darker spot upon the face of the rock, which indicated theentrance. It was of no great size--about large enough to admit the bodyof a man in a stooping attitude--but the hunter was under the impressionthat it widened inward, and led to a grand cavern. He drew hisinference, not from having ever explored this particular cave, but fromknowing that there were many others of a similar kind in that part ofthe mountains, where the limestone formation was favourable to suchcavities. Had it been only a hole just big enough for the den of abear, he would have acted very differently--then there would have been ahope of drawing Bruin out with the dogs; but if the place was an actualcavern, where the beast might range freely about, she hunter knew therewould be no chance of getting him out. Their presence outside oncesuspected, the bear might remain for days within his secure fortress;and a siege would have to be laid, which would be a tedious affair, andmight prove fruitless in the end. 

For this reason, great caution had been observed as they drew near thecave. They feared that they might come upon the bear, by chancewandering about in the woods, --that he might hear them, and, taking thealarm, scamper back to his cavern. 

Acting under this apprehension, they had left their animals a good wayoff--having tied them to the trees--and had approached the cave on foot, without making the slightest noise, and talking to each other only inwhispers. 

The izzard-hunter now proceeded to put his designs into execution. While the others had been sleeping, he had prepared a large torch, outof dry splinters of the stone pine; and now quietly igniting this, setit in the ground near the base of the cliff. The moment the brightflame illuminated the entrance to the cave, all stood with their guns inhand ready to fire. They were not sure that Bruin had gone out at all. He might still be a-bed. If so, the light of the torch might wake himup and tempt him forth; therefore it was best to be prepared for such acontingency. 

The izzard-hunter now slipped his dogs, which up to this time he hadheld securely in the leash. As soon as they were free, the well-trainedanimals, knowing what was expected of them, rushed right into the care. 

For some seconds the dogs kept up a quick continuous yelping, and theirexcited manner told that they at least scented a bear: but the questionto be determined was, whether the brute was still in his den. 

The hunter had surmised correctly. The aperture conducted to a realcavern, and a very large one--as could be told by the distance at whichthe yelping of the dogs was heard. Out of such a place it would havebeen hopeless to have thought of starting a bear--unless it shouldplease Bruin to make a voluntary exit. It was, therefore, with nolittle anxiety that the hunters listened to the "tongue" of the dogs, asit echoed within the cavernous hollow. 

They all knew that if the bear should prove to be inside, the dogs wouldsoon announce the fact by their barking, and other fierce soundscharacteristic of canine strife. 

They were not kept long in suspense; for, after an interval of less thana minute, both dogs came running out, with that air of disappointmentthat told of their having made an idle exploration. 

Their excited movements, however, proved that the scent of the bear wasfresh--that he had only recently forsaken his den--for the dogs had beenheard scratching among the sticks and grass that composed it; but thisonly showed clearly that his habitation was untenanted, and Bruin was"not at home. "

This was just what the izzard-hunter desired; and all of them layingaside their guns, proceeded to close up the entrance. This was an easytask. Loose boulders lay around, and with these a battery was soonbuilt across the mouth of the cavern, through which no animal couldpossibly have made an entrance. 

The hunters now breathed freely. They felt certain they had cut off theretreat of the bear; and unless he should suspect something wrong, andfail to return to his cave, they would be pretty sure of having a shotat him. 

Nothing remained but to place themselves in ambush, and wait for hiscoming. How to conceal themselves became the next consideration. Itwas a question, too, of some importance. They knew not which way thebear might come. He might see them while approaching, and trot offagain before a shot could be fired? To prevent this some extraordinarymeasure must be adopted. 

A plan soon presented itself to the practised hunter of the Pyrenees. Directly in front of the cliff grew several large trees. They were ofthe _pinus sylvestris_, and thickly covered with bunches of longneedle-shaped leaves. If they should climb into these trees, the leavesand branches would sufficiently conceal them, and the bear would hardlysuspect their presence in such a situation. 

The suggestion of their guide was at once acted upon. Ivan andPouchskin got into one tree, while the izzard-hunter and Alexis choseanother; and all having secured places where they could command a viewof the walled-up entrance without being themselves seen, they waited fordaylight and the coming back of the bear. 

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE. 

A BEAR IN A BIRD'S NEST. 

For the light they had not long to wait. The day broke almost as soonas they had got well settled in their places; but the bear was likely todelay them a little longer--though how long it was impossible to guess, since his return to his sleeping quarters might depend on manycontingencies. 

Formerly the Pyrenean bears--so the izzard-hunter said--were often metwith ranging about in the day-time; but that was when they were morenumerous, and less hunted. Now that they were scarce, and their skinsso highly prized--which, of course, led to their becoming scarcer everyday, and more shy too--they rarely ever left their hiding-place exceptduring the night, and in this way they contrived to escape the vigilanceof the hunters. As to the one they were waiting for, the hunter said hemight return earlier or later, according to whether he had been muchchased of late. 

The exact time of his return, however, was soon after ascertained, bythe bear himself making his appearance right under their noses. 

All at once, and in the most unexpected manner, the great quadruped cameshuffling up to the mouth of the cave. He was evidently moving undersome excitement, as if pursued, or alarmed by something he had seen inthe woods. It was perhaps the sight of the horses, or else the scent ofthe hunters themselves--on whose track he appeared to have come. Whatever it was, the party in the trees did not take time to consider, or rather the bear did not give them time; for, the moment he reachedthe entrance to his cave, and saw that it was blocked up, he gaveutterance to a terrific scream expressing disappointment, and turning inhis tracks, bounded off, as rapidly as he had come up!

The volley of four shots, fired from the trees, caused some of his furto fly off; and he was seen to stagger, as if about to fall. Thehunters raised a shout of triumph, thinking they had been successful;but their satisfaction was short-lived: for, before the echoes of theirvoices died along the cliff, the bear seemed once more to recover hisequilibrium, and ran steadily on. 

Once or twice he was seen to stop, and face round to the trees--as ifthreatening to charge towards them; but again resigning the intention, he increased his speed, went off at a lumbering gallop, and was soonlost to their sight. 

The disappointed hunters rapidly descended from their perch; and lettingloose the dogs, started off on the trail. Somewhat to their surprise, as well as gratification, it led near the place where they had lefttheir animals; and as they came up to these, they had proofs of the bearhaving passed that way, by seeing all four, both ponies and mules, dancing about, as if suddenly smitten with madness. The ponies were"whighering, " and the mules squealing, so that their owners had heardthem long before coming in sight of them. Fortunately the animals hadbeen securely fastened--else there was no knowing whither they wouldhave galloped, so panic-stricken did they appear. 

Our hunters believed it a fortunate circumstance that the bear had gonethat way; for the guide assured them that there was no telling where hewould now stop; and as the chase might carry them for miles through themountains, they would have been compelled to take to their saddlesbefore starting upon it. The direction the bear had taken, therefore, was just the one most convenient for his pursuers. 

Staying no longer than to untie their animals, they once more mounted, and kept after the dogs, whose yelping they could hear already somedistance in the advance. 

As the izzard-hunter said, the Pyrenean bear, like his Norwegian cousin, when started from his lair, often scours the country to a great distancebefore making halt--not unfrequently deserting the ravine ormountain-side, where he habitually dwells, and making for some otherplace, where he anticipates finding greater security. 

In this way he often puts his pursuers at fault--by passing over rockyshingle, along ledges of cliffs, or up precipitous slopes, where neithermen nor dogs can safely follow him. This was just what they now had tofear; for the guide well knew that the forest they were in wassurrounded on almost every side by rocky cliffs; and if the bear shouldget up these, and make to the bald mountains above, they would stand agood chance of losing him altogether. 

But one hope the hunter had. He had perceived--as indeed they all had--that several of their shots had hit the bear--and that he must beseverely wounded to have staggered as he had done. For this reason hemight seek a hiding-place in the forest, or perchance take to a tree. Cheered by this hope, the pursuers pushed onward. 

The conjecture proved to be a just one; for before they had gone half amile farther, a continuous barking sounded on their ears, which theyknew to be that of the dogs. They knew, moreover, by this sign, thatthe bear had done one of three things--either taken to a tree, retreatedinto a cave, or come to a stand in the open ground, and was keeping thedogs at bay. Of the three conjectures, they desired that the firstshould prove the correct one; and from the manner in which the dogs weregiving tongue, they had reason to hope that it would. 

In effect, so it did; for, on getting a little closer, the two dogs wereseen bounding about the roots of an enormous tree, at intervalsspringing up against its trunk, and barking at some object that hadtaken refuge in the branches above. 

Of course, this object could only be the bear; and under this belief, the pursuers approached the tree--each holding his gun cocked and readyto fire. 

When they had got quite up to the tree, and stood under it, no bear wasto be seen! A large black mass was visible among the topmost branches;but this was not the body of a bear: it was something altogetherdifferent. The tree was one of gigantic size--the very largest they hadseen in the whole forest; it was a pine, of the species _sylvestris_, with huge spreading limbs, and branches thickly covered with fasciclesof long leaves. In many places the foliage was dark and dense enough tohave afforded concealment to an animal of considerable size; but not oneso bulky as a bear; and had there been nothing else but the leaves andbranches to conceal him, a bear could not have found shelter in thattree without being visible from below. And yet a bear was actually init--the very same bear they were in pursuit of--though not a bit of hisbody--not even the tip of his snout, was visible to the eyes of thehunters!

He was certainly there: for the dogs, who were not trusting to theireyes, but to that in which they placed far more confidence--theirscent, --by their movements and behaviour, showed their positive beliefthat Bruin was in the tree. 

Perhaps you will fancy that the pine was a hollow one, and that the bearhad crept inside. Nothing of the kind: the tree was perfectly sound--not even a knot-hole was visible either in its trunk or limbs. It wasnot in a cavity that Bruin had been able to conceal himself. 

There was no mystery whatever about their not seeing him: for as soon asthe hunters got fairly under the tree, and looked up, they perceived, amidst its topmost branches, the dark object already mentioned; and asthe bear could be seen nowhere else in the tree, this object accountedfor his being invisible. 

You will be wondering what it was; and so wondered our young hunterswhen they first raised their eyes to it. It looked more like a stack offaggots than aught else; and, indeed, very good faggots would it havemade: since it consisted of a large mass of dry sticks and branches, resting in an elevated fork of the tree, and matted together into asolid mass. There were enough to have made a load for an ordinary cart, and so densely packed together, that only around the edges could the skybe seen through them; towards the centre, and for a diameter as large asa millstone, the mass appeared quite solid and black, not a ray of lightpassing through the interwoven sticks. 

"The nest of a lammergeyer!" exclaimed the izzard-hunter, the moment hiseye glanced up to it. "Just so!--my dogs are right: the bear has takenshelter in the nest of the birds!"

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX. 

THE LAMMERGEYERS. 

This was evident to all. Bruin had climbed the tree, and was now snuglyensconced in the great nest of the vulture-eagles, though not a hair ofhis shaggy hide could be visible from below. 

The hunters had no doubt about his being there. The _chasseur_ was tooconfident in the instinct of his well-trained dogs to doubt them for amoment, and his companions had no reason to question a fact so veryprobable. Had there been any doubt, it would soon have been set aside, by an incident that occurred the moment after their arrival under thetree. As they stood looking upward, two great birds were seen upon thewing, rapidly swooping downward from on high. They were _lammergeyers_, and evidently the owners of the invaded nest. That the intruder was notwelcome there, became apparent in the next moment; for both the birdswere seen shooting in quick curves around the top branches of the tree, flapping their wings over the nest, and screaming with all theconcentrated rage of creatures in the act of being plundered. WhetherBruin, in addition to his unwelcome presence, had also committedburglary, and robbed the eagles of their eggs or young, could not betold. If he had done so, he could not have received greater objurgationfrom the infuriated birds, that continued their noisy demonstrations, until a shot fired from below admonished them of the presence of thatbiped enemy far more dreaded than the bear. Then did they only widenthe circle of their flight, still continuing to swoop down over the nestat intervals, and uttering their mingled cries of rage and lamentation. 

The shot was from the gun of the izzard-hunter; but it was not tillafter he had been some time upon the ground that he had fired it. Allfour had previously dismounted and fastened their animals to thesurrounding trees. They knew that the bear was in the nest; butalthough his retreat was now cut off, it was still not so certain thatthey should succeed in making a capture. Had the bear taken refuge in afork, or even among thick branches, where their bullets might havereached him, it would have been a very different thing. They might thenhave brought him down at their pleasure, for if killed, or severelywounded, he must have fallen to the ground; but now--ah, now! what wasto be done? The broad platform of the nest not only gave him a surfaceon which he could recline at his ease, but its thick mass formed arampart through which not even a bullet would be likely to penetrate tohis body!

How were they to reach him with their bullets? That was the nextquestion that came under consideration. The odd shot had been fired asan experiment. It was fired in the hope that it might startle the bear, and cause him to shift his quarters--if only a little--so that some partof his body might be exposed; and while the izzard-hunter wasdischarging his piece, the others had stood watching for a chance. Nonewas given to them, however. The bullet was heard striking the sticks, and caused the dust to puff out, but it produced no further effect--nota move was made by the occupant of that elevated eyrie. 

Two or three more shots were fired with like effect; and the fusil ofPouchskin was next called into requisition, and brought to bear upon thenest. The large bullet crashed up among the dry sticks, scattering thefragments on all sides, and raising a cloud of dust that enveloped thewhole top of the tree. But not a sign came from Bruin, to tell that ithad disturbed him; not even a growl, to reward Pouchskin for theexpenditure of his powder and lead. It was evident that this mode ofproceeding could be of no service; and the firing was at oncediscontinued--in order that they might take into consideration someother plan of attack. 

At first there appeared to be no way by which the bear might be oustedfrom his secure quarters. They might fire away until they should emptyboth their powder-horns and pouches, and all to no purpose. They mightjust as well fire their shots into the air. So far as their bulletswere concerned, the bear might bid them defiance--a cannon shot alonecould have gone through his strong rampart of sticks. 

What could they do to get at him? To climb up and assail him where helay was not to be thought of--even could they have climbed into thenest. On the firm ground, none of them would have liked to risk anencounter with the enemy, much less upon such insecure footing as a nestof rotten sticks. But they could not have got into the nest, howeverbent upon such a thing. Its wide rim extended far beyond the supportingbranches; and only a monkey, or the bear himself, could have clamberedover its edge. To a human being, ascent to the nest would have been notonly difficult, but impossible; and no doubt the instinct of the eaglesguided them to this while they were constructing it. Not for a moment, then, did our hunters think of climbing up to their eyrie. 

What, then, were they to do? The only thing they could think of was tocut down the tree. It would be a great undertaking: for the trunk wasseveral feet in diameter; and as they had only one axe, and that not avery sharp one, it would be a work of time. They might be days infelling that gigantic pine; and even when down, the bear might stillescape from them--for it did not follow that the fall of the tree wouldresult in the consummation of his capture. It might swing overgradually and easily, or, striking against others, let the bear downwithout doing him the slightest damage; and in the confusion consequenton its fall, he would have a good chance of getting off. 

These considerations caused them to hesitate about cutting down thetree, and reflect whether there might not be some easier and moreeffective method for securing the skin of the bear. 

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN. 

FIRING THE EYRIE. 

After beating their brains, for some time to no purpose, an exclamationfrom the izzard-hunter at length announced that some happy idea hadoccurred to him. All eyes were at once turned towards him; while thevoice of Ivan was quickly heard, interrogating him as to the object ofhis exclamation. 

"I've got a plan, young monsieur!" replied the hunter, "by which I'lleither force the bear to come down, or roast him up yonder where helies. _Parbleu_! I've got an excellent idea!"

"What is it? what is it?" eagerly inquired Ivan; though from what theizzard-hunter had said, he already half comprehended the design. 

"Patience, young monsieur! in a minute you shall see!"

All three now gathered around the chasseur, and watched his movements. 

They saw him pour a quantity of gunpowder into the palm of his hand; andthen tear a strip of cotton rag from a large piece which he had drawnout of his pouch. This he saturated with saliva and then coated it overwith the powder. He next proceeded to rub both rag and powdertogether--until, after a considerable friction between the palms of hishands, the cotton became once more dry, and was now thoroughly saturatedwith the powder, and quite blackened with it. 

The next proceeding on the part of the chasseur was to procure a smallquantity of dead moss, which was easily obtained from the trunks of thesurrounding trees; and this, mixed with a handful or two of dry grass, he rolled up into a sort of irregular clew. 

The man now felt in his pouch; and, after a little fumbling there, brought forth a small box that was seen to contain lucifer-matches. Seemingly satisfied with their inspection, he returned the box to itsplace, and then made known the object for which all these preliminarymanoeuvres had been practised. Our young hunters had already more thanhalf divined it, and it only confirmed their anticipations when thehunter declared his intention to climb the tree and _set fire to thenest_. It is needless to say that one and all of them approved of thescheme, while they admired its originality and cunning. Its boldness, too, did not escape their admiration, for it was clearly a feat ofdaring and danger. The bottom of the nest might be reached easilyenough; for though a tall tree, it was by no means a difficult one toclimb. There were branches all along its trunk from bottom to top; andto a Pyrenean hunter, who, when a boy, as he told them, had playedpigeon vidette in one of the "crows' nests" they had seen, the climbingof such a tree was nothing. It was not in this that the danger lay, butin something very different. It was in the contingency, that, while upin the branches, and before he could effect his purpose, the bear mighttake a fancy to come down. Should he do so, then, indeed, would thelife of the venturesome hunter be in deadly peril. 

He made light of the matter, however, and, warning the others to gettheir guns ready and stand upon their guard, he sprang forward to thetrunk, and commenced "swarming" upward. 

Almost as rapidly as a bear itself could have ascended, theizzard-hunter glided up the tree, swinging himself from branch tobranch, and resting his naked feet--for he had thrown off his shoes--onknots and other inequalities, where no branch offered. In this way heat length got so close to the nest, that he could without difficultythrust his hand into the bottom of it. 

He was now seen drawing forth a number of the dry sticks, and forming acavity near the lower part of the huge mass. He operated with greatsilence and circumspection--taking all the care he could not to make hispresence known to the bear, nor in any way disturb whatever dreams orreflections Bruin might then be indulging in. 

In a short time he had hollowed out a little chamber among the sticks--just large enough for his purpose, --and, taking the ball of dry grassout of his pouch, he loosened it a little, and then placed it within thecavity. 

It was but the work of another minute to light a lucifer-match, and setfire to the long strips of tinder rag that hung downwards from thegrass. 

This done, the izzard-hunter swung himself to the next branch below;and, even faster than he had gone up, he came scrambling down the trunk. 

Just as he reached the ground, the grass was seen catching; and amidstthe blue smoke that was oozing thickly out of the little chamber, andslowly curling up around the edges of the nest, a red blaze could bedistinguished--accompanied with that crackling noise that announces thekindling of a fire. 

The four hunters stood ready, watching the progress of the littleflame--at the same time directing their glances around the rim of thenest. 

They had not long to wait for the _denouement_. The smoke had alreadycaught the attention of the bear; and the snapping of the dry faggots, as they came in contact with the blazing grass, had awakened him to asense of his dangerous situation. 

Long before the blaze had mounted near him, he was seen craning his neckover the edge of the nest; first on one side, then on another, andevidently not liking what he saw. Once or twice he came very nearhaving a bullet sent at his head; but his restlessness hindered themfrom getting a good aim, and for the time he was left alone. 

Not for long, however: for he did not much longer remain upon hiselevated perch. Whether it was the smoke that he was unable longer toendure, or whether he knew that the conflagration was at hand, does notclearly appear; but from his movements it was evident the nest wasgetting too hot to hold him. 

And no doubt it was too hot at that crisis. Had he remained in it buttwo minutes longer, an event would have occurred that would have ruinedeverything. The bear would either have been roasted to a cinder; or, atall events, his skin would have been singed, and, of course, completelyspoilt for the purpose for which it was required!

Up to this moment that thought had never occurred to the young hunters;and now that it did occur, they stood watching the movements of the bearwith feelings of keen apprehension. A shout of joy was heard both fromAlexis and Ivan as the great quadruped was seen springing out from thesmoke, and clutching to a thick branch that traversed upward near thenest. Embracing the branch with his paws, he commenced descending sternforemost along the limb; but a more rapid descent was in store for him. Out of the four bullets fired into his body, one at least must havereached a mortal part; for his forearms were seen to relax their hold, his limbs slipped from the bark, and his huge body came "bump" to theground, where it lay motionless as a log and just as lifeless. 

Meanwhile the flames enveloped the nest, and in five minutes more thewhole mass was on fire, blazing upward like a beacon. The dry stickssnapped and crackled--the pitchy branches of the pine hissed andspurted--the red cinders shot out like stars, and came showering down tothe earth--while high overhead could be heard the vengeful cries of thevultures, as they saw the destruction of their aerial habitation. 

But the hunters took no heed of all this. Their task was accomplished, or nearly so. It only remained to divest Bruin of his much-covetedskin; and, having done this in a skilful and proper manner, they mountedtheir roadsters, and once more took their route across the mountains. 

On reaching the first village on the Spanish side, they parted with theexpert izzard-hunter and his hired charge--having well remunerated himfor his threefold service, each branch of which he had performed totheir entire satisfaction. 

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT. 

SOUTH AMERICAN BEARS. 

Our travellers passed southward to Madrid, where they only remained longenough to witness that exciting but not very gentle spectacle, abull-fight. 

Thence proceeding to Lisbon, they took passage direct for Para, or "GranPara, " as it is called--a thriving Brazilian settlement at the mouth ofthe Amazon river, and destined at no very distant day to become a greatcity. 

The design of our hunters was to ascend the Amazon, and reach, by one ofits numerous head waters, the eastern slope of the Andes mountains--which they knew to be the habitat of the "spectacled bear. "

On arriving at Para, they were not only surprised, but delighted, tofind that the Amazon river was actually navigated by steamboats; andthat, instead of having to spend six months in ascending to the upperpart of this mighty river--as in the olden time--they could nowaccomplish the journey in less than a score of days! These steamers arethe property of the Brazilian Government, that owns the greater part ofthe Amazon valley, and that has shown considerable enterprise indeveloping its resources--much more than any of the Spano-AmericanStates, which possess the regions lying upon the upper tributaries ofthe Amazon. It is but fair to state, however, that the Peruvians havealso made an attempt to introduce steam upon the Amazon river; and thatthey have been unsuccessful, from causes over which they could scarce beexpected to have control. The chief of these causes appears to havebeen the dishonesty of certain American contractors, who provided themwith the steamers--three of them--which, on being taken to the head ofsteam navigation on the Amazon, were found to be utterly worthless, andhad to be laid up! This bit of jobbery is to be regretted the more, since its bad effects do not alone concern the people of Peru, but thewhole civilised world: for there is not a country on the globe thatwould not receive benefit by a development of the resources of thismighty river. 

Our young Russians had been under the belief, as most people are, thatthe banks of the Amazon were entirely without civilised settlements--that the great river had scarcely been explored--that only a fewtravellers had descended this mighty stream; and that altogether it wasstill as much of a _terra incognita_ as in the days of Orellana. Theyfound that these notions were quite incorrect; that not only is therethe large town of Para near the mouth of the Amazon, but there are otherconsiderable settlements upon its banks, at different distances fromeach other, all the way up to Peru. Even upon some of its tributaries--as the Rio Negro and Madeira--there are villages and plantations of someimportance. Barra, on the former stream, is of itself a town of 2, 000inhabitants. 

In that part of the Amazonian territory which lies within the boundariesof Brazil, the settlements are, of course, Brazilian--the settlers beinga mixture of Portuguese negroes and Christianised Indians. The portionof the great valley higher up towards the Cordilleras of the Andes, belongs to the Spanish-American governments--chiefly to Peru. There arealso settlements of a missionary character, the population of whichconsists almost entirely of Indians, who have submitted themselves tothe rule of the Spanish priests. Years ago many of these missionarysettlements were in a flourishing condition; but at present they are ina complete state of decay. 

Our young Russians found, then, that the great South American river wasby no means unknown or unexplored--though as yet no great observer hasgiven an account of it. The different travellers who have descended theAmazon, and written books about it, have all been men of slightcapacity, and lacking powers of scientific observation; and one cannothelp feeling regret, that Humboldt did not choose the Amazon, instead ofthe Orinoco, as the medium of his valuable researches into thecosmography of South America. Such a grand subject was worthy of such aman. 

In ascending the Amazon--which our party did by the Brazilian steamer--they were fortunate in finding on board a very intelligent travellingcompanion; who gave them much information of the great valley and itsresources. This man was an old Portuguese trader, who had spent nearlya lifetime in navigating not only the Amazon itself, but many of itslarger tributaries. His business was to collect from the differentIndian tribes the indigenous products of the forest--or _montana_, as itis called--which stretches almost without interruption from the Andes tothe Atlantic. In this vast tropical forest there are many productionsthat have found their way into the channels of commerce; and many othersyet unknown or unregarded. The principal articles obtained by thetraders are sarsaparilla, Peruvian bark, annatto, and other dyes, vanilla, Brazil nuts, Tonka beans, hammocks, palm fibre, and severalother kinds of spontaneous vegetable productions. Monkeys, toucans, macaws, parrots, and other beautiful birds, also enter into the list ofAmazonian exports; while the imports consist of such manufacturedarticles as may tempt the cupidity of the savage, or the weaponsnecessary to him either in war or for the chase. 

In this trade their travelling companion had spent thirty years of hislife; and being a man of intelligence he had not only acquired aconsider able fortune, but laid in a stock of geographical knowledge, ofwhich the young Russians were not slow to take advantage. In thenatural history of the _montana_ he was well versed; and knew thedifferent animals and their habits from actual observation--for whichthirty years of adventure had given him a splendid opportunity. It wasa rich store, and our travellers, especially the naturalist Alexis, didnot fail to draw largely from it. 

From the information given by this intelligent trader, Alexis wasenabled to determine several facts about the bears of South America, that had hitherto been doubtful. He learnt that there are at least twovery distinct varieties of them--one, the "spectacled bear" (_ursusornatus_)--so called, on account of the whitish rings around his eyes, suggesting the idea of spectacles; and another without these white eyemarkings, and which has been lately named by a distinguished Germannaturalist _ursus frugilegus_. 

The former kind is known throughout the Peruvian countries as the"Hucumari, " and although it inhabits the Cordilleras, it does not ascendto the very cold elevations known as the "paramos" and "puna. " On thecontrary, it affects a warmer climate, and is not unfrequently foundstraying into the cultivated valleys termed generally the "Sierra. " The_ursus frugilegus_ chiefly frequents the tangled woods that cover theeastern spurs of the Andes, ranging often as far down as the montana, and never so high as the declivities that border on the region of snow. 

Both of these species are black bears, and termed "oso negro" by theSpanish-Americans; but the Hucumari is distinguished by a white listunder the throat, a white breast, a muzzle of a greyish buff colour, andthe crescent-like eye markings already mentioned. It is also of agentler disposition than its congener, smaller in size, and never preysupon other animals. The other does so--frequently making havoc amongthe flocks of sheep, and even attacking the cattle and horses of the_haciendas_. The _ursus frugilegus_ will give battle even to manhimself--when baited, or rendered furious by being chased. 

Both these species are supposed to be confined to the Chilian andPeruvian Andes. This is an erroneous supposition. They are equallycommon in Bolivia, and in the sierras of New Grenada and Venezuela. They are found on both sides of Lake Maracaibo--in the sierras Perijaand Merida. One of them, at least, has also been observed in themountains of Guiana--though naturalists have not met with it there. Humboldt, it is true, saw the tracks of what the natives told him was abear on the Upper Orinoco; and, reasoning from their size, he drew theinference that it must have been a much smaller species than the _ursusamericanus_; but in this matter the great philosopher was led into anerror by a misapplied name. He was informed that the animal was the"oso carnero, " or flesh-eating bear--a title given by the MissionIndians to distinguish it from two other animals, which they alsoerroneously term bears--the "oso palmero, " or great ant-eater(_tamanoir_), and the "oso hormiguero" (_tamandua_). The animal bywhose tracks Humboldt was misled, was, no doubt, one of the smallerplantigrade animals (_coatis_ or _grisons_), of which there are severalspecies in the forests of South America. 

Our hunters learnt enough from their travelling acquaintance to convincethem that, in whatever latitude they might approach the Andes from theeast, they would be certain to find both varieties of the South Americanblack bear; but that the best route they could take would be up thegreat Napo river, which rises not very far from the old Peruvian capitalof Quito. In the wild provinces of Quixos and Macas, lying to the eastof Quito--and to which the Napo river would conduct them--they would becertain to meet with the animals they were in search of. 

They would have been equally sure of meeting bears in the territory ofJean de Bracamoros; and this would have been more easily reached; butAlexis knew that by taking that route across the Cordilleras, they wouldbe thrown too far to the west for the isthmus of Panama--which it wasnecessary they should cross on their way to the northern division of theAmerican continent. 

By keeping up the Napo to its source, and then crossing the Cordillerasof New Granada, they would still be enabled to make westerly as far asPanama--to which port they could get passage in one of the Grenadiancoasting-vessels. 

On arriving at the mouth of the Napo, therefore, they engaged a_periagua_, with its Indian crew, and continued their journey up thisstream towards the still-distant Cordilleras of Quito. 

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE. 

THE AMAZONIAN FOREST. 

The river Napo is one of the largest of the head waters of the Amazon, and one of the most interesting--since, by it, most of the earlyexpeditionists descended in search of the country of the gilded kings, and the gold-roofed temples of Manoa. Though these proved to befabulous, yet the existence of gold dust among the Indians of the Napowas true enough, and is true to the present hour. On this river, andits numerous branches, gold washings, or _placers_, are quite common;and occasionally the savages, who roam over this region, collect thedust, and exchange it with the traders who venture among them. TheIndians, however, are of too idle a habit to follow this industry withany degree of energy; and whenever they have obtained a quill full ofthe metallic sand--just enough to purchase them some coveted nick-knackof civilised manufacture--they leave off work, and the precious ingotsare permitted to sleep undiscovered in their beds. 

Notwithstanding the length of their journey up the Napo, our travellersdid not deem it tedious. The lovely tropical scenery, ever under theireyes, together with the numerous little incidents which were constantlyoccurring, relieved the monotony of their daily life, and kept them in aconstant state of interested excitement. At every bend of the riverappeared some object, new and worthy of admiration--some grand tropicalplant or tree, some strange quadruped, or some bird of glorious plumage. 

The craft in which they travelled was that in general use on the uppertributaries of the Amazon: a large canoe--hollowed out from the gigantic_bombax ceiba_, or silk-cotton tree--and usually known as a _periagua_. Over the stern part, or quarter-deck, a little "round house" is erected, resembling the tilt of a wagon; but, instead of ash hoops and canvas, itis constructed of bamboos and leaves of trees. The leaves form a thatchto shade the sun from the little cabin inside, and they are generallythe large leaves of the _vihai_, a species of _heliconia_, which growsabundantly in the tropical forests of South America. Leaves of the_musacaae_ (_plantains_ and _bananas_) serve for a similar purpose; andboth kinds are equally employed in thatching the huts in which thenatives dwell. 

The little cabin thus constructed is called a _toldo_. Inside it ishigh enough for a man to sit upright, though not to stand; and generallyit is only used for sleeping in, or as a shelter during rain. At othertimes the traveller prefers the open air; and sits or reclines upon theroof of the toldo, which is constructed of sufficient strength to bearhis weight. The forward part of the periagua is left quite open; andhere the rowers take their stations, so that their movements do notinterfere with the comfort of the travellers. 

Through the influence of the Portuguese trader, our party had the goodfortune to obtain a proper periagua and crew. They were ChristianisedIndians, belonging to one of the Spanish missions situated far up theNapo. They had descended this river with a cargo of the products of themission; and were just about starting to go back, as our travellersarrived at the river's mouth. An agreement was easily entered into withthe _capataz_, or chief of the periagua; and as our travellers alwayspaid liberally for such service, and kept the crew well fed, theyreceived as good attendance and accommodation as circumstances wouldadmit of. Here and there on the banks of the river--though at very longintervals apart--were settlements of the wild Indians of the forest; andas nearly all the tribes of Amazonia do less or more in the way ofcultivation and commerce, our travellers were enabled from time to timeto replenish their larder. Their guns, too, helped materially to keepup the supply: since almost every day game of one kind or another wasprocured along the banks. For bread they had _farinha_, a good stock ofwhich they had brought with them on the steamer from Paru. This is thegrated root of the manioc plant (_jatropha manihot_), and forms thestaple food of all classes throughout the countries of Amazonia. 

Alexis was particularly interested in what they saw. Never hadnaturalist a finer field for observation. Here was nature presented tothe eye in its most normal condition. Here could be observed thetropical forest in all its primeval virginity, unbroken by the axe ofthe lumberer, and in many places untrodden even by the foot of thehunter. Here its denizens--quadrupeds, _quadrumana_, birds, reptiles, and insects--might be seen following out their various habits of life, obedient only to the passions or instincts that had been implanted inthem by Nature herself, but little modified by the presence of man. Nowwould appear a flock of _capivaras_--or _chiguires_, as they are alsocalled--the largest of rodent animals, basking upon some sunny bank, raising their great rabbit-like heads, and gazing curiously at thepassing _periagua_. Perhaps before the travellers had lost sight ofthem, the whole gang would be seen suddenly starting from theirattitudes of repose, and in desperate rush making for the water. Behindthem would appear the yellow-spotted body of the jaguar--the true tyrantof the Amazonian forest, who, with a single blow of his powerful pawwould stretch a _chiguire_ upon the grass, and then, couching over hisfallen victim, would tear its body to pieces, drink its warm blood, anddevour its flesh at his leisure. 

If by good fortune the flock might all escape, and reach the water, thejaguar, conscious of their superior adroitness in that element, would atonce abandon the pursuit; and returning to his ambush, lie waiting for afresh opportunity. But for all that, the poor chiguires would not becertain of safety; for even in the water they might encounter anotherenemy, equally formidable and cruel, in the gigantic _jacare_--thecrocodile of the Amazonian waters. Thus assailed in either element, thepoor innocent rodents are driven from land to water, and from the waterback again to the land; and so kept in a state of continual fear andtrembling. The puma, too, assails them, and the _jaguarundi_, and thefierce _coatimundi_; and not unfrequently the enormous _anaconda_enfolds them in its deadly embrace; for the innocuous creatures can makeno defence against their numerous enemies; and but for that fecunditywhich characterises the family to which they belong--the so called"Guinea pigs"--their race would be in danger of total extirpation. 

The chiguires were not the only gregarious animals observed by ourtravellers in their ascent of the Napo. Others of a very differentorder appeared in the _peccaries_, or wild pigs of the _montana_. Theseare true pachyderms, and in reality pigs; though naturalists have seenfit to separate them from the genus _Sus_, and constitute for them agenus of their own. It is hardly necessary to say that this is a veryuseless proceeding--since the peccaries are neither more nor less thantrue wild hogs, the indigenous representatives of the _suidae_, on theAmerican continent. Their classification into a separate genus has beenproductive of no good purpose, but the very contrary: since it has addedto the number of zoological names, thereby rendering still moredifficult the study of that interesting science. For such an endlessvocabulary, we are chiefly indebted to the speculations of anatomicnaturalists, who, lacking opportunities of actual observation, endeavourto make up for it by guesses and conjectures, founded upon some littletubercle upon a tooth! Notwithstanding their learned treatises, itoften proves--and very often too--that these tubercles tell mostabominable stories; in plainer terms, that the animals "lie in theirteeth. "

The peccary--which the old writers were content to regard as a wild pig, and very properly placed under the genus _sus_--is now termed_dicotyles_. Two species only are yet known to naturalists--the"white-lipped" and "collared" (_dicotyles labritus_ and _dicotylescollaris_); and although they are rarely found frequenting the samedistrict of country, either one or the other kind can be encountered inall the wilder parts of America--from California on the north, to thelatitude of the La Plata on the south. Both are nearly of one form andcolour--a sort of speckled greyish-brown; the collared species being sonamed from a whitish list running up in front of its shoulders, andforming the semblance of a collar; while the white-lipped derives itsspecific title from having lips of a greyish-white colour. In size, however, there is a great difference between the two: the white-lippedpeccary weighing 100 pounds, or nearly twice the weight of the collaredspecies. The former, too, is proportionably stouter in build, andaltogether a stronger and fiercer animal; for although fierceness is nota characteristic of their nature, like other animals of the hog family, when, roused, they exhibit a ferocity and fearlessness equalling that ofthe true _carnivora_. 

Both kinds of peccary are preyed upon by the jaguar; but this tyrant ofthe wilds approaches them with more caution and far less confidence, than when he makes his onslaught on the helpless chiguires; and notunfrequently in conflicts with the peccary, the jaguar comes off onlysecond best. Of this fact our travellers had ample proofs--havingfrequently witnessed, while ascending the Napo, encounters between thepeccaries and the jaguars. One of these encounters they had watchedwith an interest more than common: for in its result their own safetywas concerned; and the very position of peril in which they were placed, enabled them to have a full and perfect view of the whole spectacle; anaccount of which we find recorded in the journal of Alexis. 

CHAPTER THIRTY. 

THE PERUVIAN CINNAMON-TREE. 

They had reacted a district which lies between two great branches of theNapo river, and which bears the name of _Canelos_, or the "cinnamoncountry. " The name was given to it by the Spanish discoverers of Peru--from the fact of their finding trees in this region, the bark of whichbears a considerable resemblance to the celebrated spice of the EastIndies. _Canela_ is the Spanish name for cinnamon; and the rudeadventurers Pineda and Gonzalez Pizarro, fancying it was the realcinnamon-tree itself, so called it; and the district in which they foundit most abundant thenceforward took the name of Canelos. 

The tree, afterwards identified and described by the Spanish botanistMutis, is not the _Laurus cinnamomum_ of Ceylon; but a species of_laurus_ peculiar to the American continent--to which this botanist hasgiven the name _laurus cinnamomoides_. It is not, however, confined tothe region around the Rio Napo, but grows in many parts of the Great_Montana_, as well as in other countries of tropical America. Bonplandidentified it on the Upper Orinoco, and again in the county of Caraccas;though nowhere does it appear to be in such plenty as to the east of theCordilleras of Ecuador and Peru--throughout the provinces of Quixos, Macas, and Jean de Bracamoros. In these provinces it is found formingextensive woods, and filling the air with the delicious aroma of itsflowers. The bark of the _laurus cinnamomoides_ is not considered equalin delicate flavour to that of the Oriental cinnamon. It is hotter andmore pungent to the taste--otherwise the resemblance between the twotrees is very considerable, their foliage being much alike, and the barkpeeling off of nearly equal thickness. The American, however, becomesmore brownish when dried; and, though it is not equal to the cinnamonbark of Ceylon, large quantities of it are collected, both for use inthe Spanish-American countries and for export to Europe--where it isoften passed off for the true cinnamon. Were it not that the provinceof anelos is rather inaccessible to commerce, no doubt a great deal moreof it would find its way into the European markets; but there are perilsand hardships in the collecting of this bark, which make it unprofitableto deal in, even at the full price of the true cinnamon. The Peruviansbelieve that, were the tree cultivated in a proper manner, as theOriental cinnamon is, its bark would prove equal in quality to thelatter; and perhaps this may be true, since occasionally specimens of ithave been procured, having all the rich aroma of the spice of Ceylon. These have been taken from trees that grew in favourable situations--that is, standing alone, and where the sun had free access to the leavesand flowers. The leaves themselves have the peculiar cinnamon flavour, and the flowers also; but in a much stronger degree. Indeed, theflowers are even more aromatic than those of the _laurus cinnamomum_. 

It is said that the wild pigs (_peccaries_) are very fond of theseflowers, as well as the seeds, when ripe; and a singular habit of theseanimals is related by some of the early Peruvian travellers--the JesuitOvalle for one. The old father states that when a flock of thepeccaries go in search of the flowers of the canela-tree, they separateinto two divisions, of about nearly equal numbers. The individuals ofone division place their shoulders to the different trees; and, byshaking them violently, cause the flowers to fall down to the earth. While thus employed, the peccaries of the other party stand under theshower, and eat undisturbedly until they have quite filled theirbellies, or otherwise satisfied themselves. These last then take theplace of the hungry hogs; and reciprocating the service by shaking thetrees, leave the former to enjoy themselves in their turn!

It is not easy to swallow this story of the Jesuit, though he washimself a native of the country where the scene is laid. That part ofit which relates to the hogs shaking the trees for one another, is notlikely to be true, though it is possible all the other particulars arecorrect. 

It may be true enough that the animals shake the trees to bring down theflowers: for this would exhibit a sagacity not greater than hogs ofother species are capable of; but it is not according to the laws oftheir moral nature to perform the service for one another. That theyroam in great flocks through the canela forests, and devour with aviditythe blossoms of these trees, is undoubtedly a fact--of which ourtravellers had the evidence of their own eyes while on their journey upthe river Napo. 

They were passing a place where these wild cinnamon-trees lined thebanks of the stream; and, in order to make a closer examination of suchan interesting species, Alexis landed from the _periagua_, Ivan wentalong with him--taking his double-barrelled gun, in hopes of getting ashot at something. In one barrel he had a bullet, while the other wasloaded with shot--so that he was prepared for any sort of game thatmight turn up, either beasts or birds. Alexis, as usual, carried hisrifle. 

It was their intention to walk for some distance up the bank. There wasa sandy strip between the water and the trees--which would enable themto make way without difficulty--and it is only where this occurs thatthe banks of the Amazonian rivers can be followed on foot. Generally, the thick forest comes down to the very water's edge; and there is nopathway except an occasional track followed by the chiguires, tapirs, and other animals; but, as these creatures only open the underwood tothe height of their own bodies, all above that is a matted labyrinth ofleaves and llanos, that form an impenetrable barrier to the passage ofanything so tall as a man. The Indians themselves rarely follow thesepaths, but keep to their canoes or periaguas. 

Seeing this fine open sand-bar, which appeared to stretch for milesabove them, our young travellers, tired of sitting upon the _toldo_, determined to stretch their legs in a walk; and, directing the capatazto keep up the river and take them in above, they set out along thebank--now and then dipping into the woods, wherever an opening showeditself, and examining such rare natural objects as attracted theirattention. 

Pouchskin did not go with them; and the reason was that, some daysbefore, Pouchskin had encountered a mishap, by which he was laid uplame. The cause of his lameness was simply that some _chigas_ had gotbetween his toes; and not having been extracted in time, had there laidtheir eggs, and caused a terrible inflammation to his feet. Amisfortune that frequently happens in tropical countries. The woundcaused by the _chiga_, though not absolutely of fatal consequences, isvery dangerous to be trifled with--often leading to the necessity ofamputating the part attacked by these diminutive insects. Pouchskin, sneering at the insignificance of the enemy, had neglected taking properprecautions--notwithstanding that the Indian canoe-men had warned him ofthe danger. The consequence was a swelling of the parts and aninflammation, that lamed the old grenadier as completely as if his leghad been carried off by a bomb-shell; and he was now reclining along thetop of the toldo, unable to stand upon his feet. 

For this reason, being in no condition to join his young masters ontheir pedestrian excursions, he was necessarily left behind. It was, perhaps, just as well for him: since it was the means of keeping himclear of a scrape into which both of the young hunters chanced to fallvery soon after; and which, perhaps, had Pouchskin been with them, mighthave ended worse than it did: since it could not have ended much better. 

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE. 

A SKURRY OVER A SAND-BAR. 

Journeying along the bank, as we have described, Alexis and Ivan hadgone some two or three miles up the river. They were beginning to gettired of their walk: as the sand was rather soft, and sank under theirfeet at every step. Just then they descried, a little ahead of them, along bar, or "spit" of the bank, running out nearly to the middle of theriver. They made up their minds to go on until they should reach thisbar. At its end appeared a proper place for the periagua to come to, and take them aboard. 

The craft was still working up stream, and had got nearly opposite them, so that they could hail it. They did so--desiring the _popero_, orsteersman, to put in at the extremity of the sand-bar. This matterhaving been arranged, they continued on up the bank, going at theirleisure. 

On arriving at that part of the bank where the sand-spit projected intothe river, they were about stepping out upon it, when the quick ear ofIvan caught the sound of some animals moving among the underwood. Allwas game that came to Ivan's gun; and as he had seen nothing worthwasting a charge upon, during their long walk, he was very desirous tohave a shot at something before returning to the periagua. 

What he heard was a rustling of leaves. It did not appear to proceedfrom any particular spot, but rather from all parts of the forest. Nowand then the sound was varied by a sort of half-squeaking, half-gruntingnoise, that indicated the presence of animals, and a great many of themtoo: since at times, several scores of these squeaks and grunts could beheard uttered simultaneously. Alexis heard the sounds too; but beingless of a keen sportsman than his brother, cared less to go after thecreatures that were making them. He had no objection to Ivan straying alittle out of his way; and promised to wait for him on the open bank. 

Had he known what sort of game it was that his brother was going after--that is, had he been acquainted with the habits of the animals that weremaking themselves heard, he would either have gone along with Ivan, or, what is more likely, would have hindered him from going at all. Alexis, however, was under the impression that monkeys of some kind were makingthe strange noises--for not only are there many species of these in theforests of the Napo, but some that can imitate the voices of otheranimals. Of course, with monkeys, there could be no danger: since noneof the American quadrumana are large enough or strong enough to attemptan attack upon man. 

Ivan had not left the spot more than five minutes, when a loud report, reverberating among the trees, announced that he had fired his gun; and, almost in the same instant, a second crack told that both barrels werenow empty. 

Alexis was about proceeding to the place to see what his brother hadshot, when all at once his ears were assailed by a loud chorus ofnoises--a screaming, and snorting, and grunting, --that seemed to comefrom all parts of the wood; while the cracking of sticks, and the"swishing" of branches, announced a singular commotion--as if somehundreds of creatures were rushing to and fro through the jungle. Atthe same instant was heard the voice of Ivan, crying out in accents ofalarm; while the boy was himself seen breaking his way through thebushes, and running with all his might in the direction of his brother. His looks betokened terror, as if some dreaded pursuer was behind him. 

"Run! brother--run!" cried he, as he got clear of the underwood; "runfor your life!--they're after me--they're after me!"

It was no time to inquire what pursuers were after him. Evidently, theywere of a sort to be shunned: since they had caused to the courageousIvan such serious alarm; and Alexis, without staying for an explanation, turned, and joined in his brother's flight. Both directed themselvestowards the open sand-spit, in hopes of being able to reach theperiagua--which could be seen just drawing up to its point of the bar. 

They had not made a dozen steps into the open ground, when the bushesfrom which they had just parted were seen to vibrate, and from out theirtrembling cover rushed a host of strange creatures: literally a host, for, in a few seconds' time, not less than two hundred of them madetheir appearance. 

They were quadrupeds of a greyish-brown colour, not larger thanhalf-grown pigs; and pigs they were--that is to say, they were_peccaries_. They were those of the species _labiatus_--as could beseen by their white lips. These lips were especially conspicuous, foreach individual was rushing on open-mouthed, with snout raised aloft--all of them cracking their teeth like castanets, uttering, as they ran, a confused chorus of short, sharp grunts and squeaks expressive ofanger. 

As soon as Alexis saw them, he recognised the peril of the situation inwhich he and his brother were placed. He had read, and heard moreoverfrom the Portuguese trader--as well as from the Indian canoe-men--of thedanger to be apprehended from an attack of these fierce little animals;and how the hunter, to escape from them, is often compelled to take to atree. Had he and Ivan reflected for a moment, they would probably havemade for the woods, instead of running out on the open sand-bar as theyhad done. It was now too late, however. The peccaries covered thewhole line of beach behind them; and no tree could have been reached, without passing back again through the midst of the drove. Theirretreat in the direction of the woods was completely cut off; and thereappeared no alternative, but to make the best use they could of theirheels, and if possible get on board the periagua. 

With this determination they rushed on over the sandbank, closelypursued by the peccaries. 

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO. 

PURSUED BY PECCARIES. 

It is needless to say that our young hunters took as long strides as thenature of the ground would permit; but, unfortunately, they were notlong enough. The sand was soft and heavy, and in places so full ofholes, where the turtles had had their eggs--now empty--that thefugitives could make but slow progress, though fear was urging them todo their utmost. The pursuers themselves did not make as good speed asthey would have made on firmer ground, but they were going faster thanthe pursued; and the boys were beginning to fear that they would neverbe able to reach the periagua in time. To be overtaken meant the sameas to be dragged down upon the sand, and torn to pieces by the sharptusks of the peccaries. The periagua was still three hundred yardsdistant. The Indians saw the chase, and knew the danger--knew it sowell, that it was not likely they would venture ashore to the rescue;and as for Pouchskin, he was unable to budge an inch--even had therebeen no other means of saving his young masters. It was a moment offearful apprehension for the faithful Pouchskin. He had seized hisfusil, and wriggled his body into an erect attitude; but he feltpowerless to do more. 

In this moment of peril an object came under the eyes of Alexis thatpromised safety. At least it held out the prospect of a temporaryretreat from the danger--though whether they might succeed in reachingthis retreat was not certain. 

This object was a tree--not standing and growing, but a fallen tree--dead, and divested of its leaves, its bark, and most of its branches. It lay upon the sand-spit--where it had, no doubt, been deposited duringthe season of floods--not exactly in the line of their flight, but somepaces to the right of the track they would have followed in keeping onto the periagua. It was nearer them than the boat, by full two hundredyards; and Alexis observing this, suddenly conceived a hope that theymight yet reach the tree, and find shelter, either upon its trunk oramong its branches. Of these the larger ones still remained--risingmany feet above the surface of the sand, and shrouded under masses ofweeds and withered grass, which had been there deposited at the fallingof the flood. Indeed, Alexis scarce looked to the capabilities the treeafforded for giving them a secure retreat. There was no alternative. It was like the drowning man catching at straws. He only cast a lookbehind him, to see what time they might have to spare; and by a quickglance calculating their distance from the pursuers, he shouted to Ivanto follow him, and turned obliquely towards the tree. 

They had noticed the tree when first starting to run, but had notthought of it as a place of retreat. Indeed, they had thought ofnothing except getting back to the boat; and it was only now, when thishad proved clearly impossible, that they determined on taking to thetree. 

As they faced full towards it, they were able to note the chances itoffered for their safety. They saw that they were not so bad; and, encouraged by hope, they made efforts more energetic than ever--both ofthem straining every nerve and muscle in their legs and bodies. 

The effort was needed; but fortunately it proved sufficient to savethem. Just sufficient: for scarce had they succeeded in getting uponthe log, and drawing their limbs up after them, when the infuriated hostarrived upon the ground, and in a few seconds surrounded them on allsides. Lucky it was that the log was a large one. It was the dead-woodof a gigantic silk-cotton--the _bombax ceiba_ of the tropical forests;and its trunk, being full five feet in diameter, gave them thatelevation above the surface of the sand. Notwithstanding this, they sawthat their safety was not yet quite assured: for the spiteful peccaries, instead of desisting in their attacks, commenced leaping up against thelog, endeavouring to reach its top, and there assail them. Now and thenone more active than the rest actually succeeded in getting its forefeet over the ridge of the dead-wood: and, had it not been for the quickuse which our hunters made of the butts of their guns, undoubtedly theywould have been reached. Both stood with their barrels grasped firmly--now threatening the assailing host, and now punching in the head such ofthem as sprang within reach--the peccaries all the while uttering theirangry grunts, and chattering their teeth, as if a hundred strings ofChristmas crackers were being let off at the same time!

In this way the conflict was carried on--the hunters bit by bit workingthemselves along the log towards the top branches, which, projectinghigher, appeared to offer a more secure place of retreat. But atintervals as they advanced, they were compelled to make halt, and deal afresh shower of blows to their assailants, who still kept leaping upfrom below. 

At length the boys succeeded in reaching the projecting limbs of thetree; and each choosing one strong enough to carry him, they scrambledup towards their tops. This placed them in a position where they couldset the peccaries at defiance; for although the creatures could nowspring up on the main trunk--which several of them had already done--themore slender limbs baffled all their efforts at climbing; and such ofthem as attempted it were seen to roll off and tumble back upon thesandbank. 

The hunters, now feeling secure, could not refrain from a shout of joy, which was answered by a cheer from the periagua, in which the baritoneof Pouchskin bore a conspicuous part. 

Our heroes now believing themselves in for a siege, began to considerthe best means of raising it; when all at once a spectacle came undertheir eyes, that guided their thoughts into a far different channel. 

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE. 

SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS. 

Their retreat upward upon the slanting limbs of the tree had brought alarge band of their assailants round to that side; and, just as theyraised their triumphant cry, they saw the peccaries dancing among thebranches that lay extended along the sand-bar. Many of these werehidden by the flakes of hanging grass already mentioned; but anotherfearful creature chanced to have been hidden there also; who nowdisplayed himself in all his shining majesty--not only to the eyes ofthe besieged, but likewise to those of the besiegers. The creature wasa quadruped--one of fearful mien, and dimensions far exceeding that ofthe Lilliputian peccaries. It was their natural enemy--the jaguar!

Whether it was the shout that had startled him, or the peccaries hadtrodden him out of his lair, or both, certain it was that he now sprangsuddenly out, and with one bound launched himself upon the log. For amoment he stood cowering on its top, turning his eyes first upon thebranches where the boys had taken refuge, and then in the oppositedirection, towards the woods. He seemed irresolute as to which coursehe would take; and this irresolution, so long as it lasted, produced anunpleasant effect upon our young hunters. Should the jaguar also attackthem, their destruction might be accounted as certain; for the great catwould either strike them down from their unstable porch, or claw them todeath if they continued to cling to it. Of course, to fall down amongthe peccaries would be death, equally certain and terrible. 

By good fortune, however, the jaguar at the moment of showing himselfwas eagerly assailed by the wild pigs; and it was to escape from theirassault, that he had sprung upward to the log. Thither the peccarieshad pursued him, and were now endeavouring to reach the top of thedead-wood, just as they had done while after the hunters. The jaguar nolonger stood silent and irresolute; but, uttering loud screams, hecommenced defending himself against the assailing host, striking themwith his broad ungulated paws, and flinging one after another back tothe ground, where they lay kicking in the throes of death. 

Perhaps it was the presence of mind exhibited by Alexis that broughtmatters to a climax, and saved the lives of himself and his brother. His rifle was still loaded--for it had appeared useless firing into themidst of two hundred assailants. He knew he could kill only one or two;and this, instead of frightening them off, would but render the othersmore implacable in their resentment. Partly for this reason, and partlythat he had all along held the piece "clubbed" in his hands, he hadreserved his fire. Now was the time to deliver it. The jaguar was evenmore to be dreaded than the peccaries--for they were now secure from theattacks of the latter, whereas they were not only within reach of theformer, but in the very place to which the brute might fancy retreating. To prevent this contingency, Alexis resolved to give the jaguar hisbullet. 

It was but a moment's work to turn the gun in his hand and take aim. The crack followed quickly; and, on the instant, the hunters had thegratification to see the great tawny quadruped spring out from the log, and alight upon the sand--where, in a second's time, he was surroundedby the dark drove, that from all sides rushed screaming towards him. 

It was a bit of good fortune that the bullet of Alexis had only woundedthe jaguar, instead of killing him on the spot. Had he been shot dead, the peccaries would have torn his beautiful skin to ribbons, and reducedhis quivering flesh to mincemeat, and that within the space of a scoreof seconds; but luckily it chanced that the jaguar was only wounded--hadonly received a broken leg; and, availing himself of the three thatremained sound, he commenced retreating towards the timber. Thither hewas followed by his thick-skinned assailants; who, transferring theirspite to this new enemy, seemed to forget all about their originaladversaries, who remained quietly perched upon the limbs of the tree!

For some time nothing could be seen but a confused crowd, writhing overthe sand--a dark mass, in the midst of which now and then a brightyellow object appeared conspicuous, and was then for a time out ofsight; and thus, like a rolling wave, the great drove went surging on, amidst grunting and screaming, and growling, and chattering of teeth, till it swept up to the edge of the underwood, and then suddenlydisappeared from the eyes of the spectators!

Whether the peccaries eventually succeeded in destroying the jaguar, orwhether the wounded tyrant of the forest escaped from their terribleteeth, could never be told. Our young hunters had no curiosity tofollow and witness the _denouement_ of this strange encounter. Neithercared they to take up the bodies of the slain. Ivan was completelycured of any _penchant_ he might have had for peccary pork; and, as soonas their late assailants were fairly out of sight, both leaped down fromthe limbs of the tree, and made all haste towards the boat. This theyreached without further molestation; and the canoe-men, rapidly plyingtheir paddles, soon shot the craft out upon the bosom of the broadriver--where they were safe from the attack either of wild pigs or wildcats. 

It was likely the jaguar betook himself to a tree--his usual mode ofescape when surrounded by a herd of infuriated peccaries--and, as aproof that he had done so, our travellers could hear the wild hogs stilluttering their fierce grunts long after the boat had rounded thesand-spit, and was passing up the bend of the river. 

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR. 

THE OLD MISSIONS. 

Passing many scenes of interest, and meeting with several other strangeincidents, our travellers at length arrived at Archidona--a small townat the head of boat navigation upon the Napo, and the usual port ofembarkation for persons proceeding from the country around Quito to theregions upon the Amazon. Up to this place they had been journeyingthrough a complete wilderness--the only exceptions being some missionarystations, in each of which a monkish priest holds a sort of control overtwo or three hundred half christianised Indians. It would be absurd tocall these missions civilised settlements: since they are in no degreemore advanced, either in civilisation or prosperity, than the_maloccas_, or villages of the wild Indians--the "infidels, " as itpleases the monks to call those tribes who have not submitted to theirpuerile teachings. Whatever difference exists between the two kinds ofIndians, is decidedly in favour of the unconverted tribes, who displayat least the virtues of valour and a love of liberty, while the poorneophytes of the missions have suffered a positive debasement, by theirconversion to this so called "Christian religion. " All these monkishsettlements--not only on the Napo, but on the other tributaries of theAmazon--were at one time in a state of considerable prosperity. Themissionary padres, backed by a little soldier help from the SpanishGovernment, were more able to control their Indian converts, and compelthem to work--so that a certain amount of prosperity was visible in themission settlements, and some of them had even attained to a degree ofwealth. This, however, was but an apparent civilisation; and itsbenefits only extended to the monks themselves. The Indian neophyteswere in no way bettered by the wealth they created. Their condition wasone of pure slavery--the monks being their masters, and very often hardtaskmasters they proved themselves--living in fine conventual style uponthe sweat and labour of their brown-skinned converts. The only returnmade by them to the Indians was to teach the latter those trades, by thepractice of which they themselves might be benefited, and that was theirsole motive for civilising them. On the other hand, instead ofendeavouring to cultivate their intellectual nature, they strove inevery way to restrain it--inculcating those doctrines of duty andobedience, so popular among the priests and princes of the world. Theytaught them a religion of the lips, and not of the heart--a religion ofmere idle ceremonies, of the most showy kind; and above all a religion, whose every observance required to be paid for by toll and tithe. Inthis manner they continued to filch from the poor aboriginal every hourof his work--and keep him to all intents and purposes an abject slave. No wonder, that when the Spanish power declined, and the soldier couldno longer be spared to secure the authority of the priest--no wonderthat the whole system gave way, and the missions of Spanish America--from California to the Patagonian plains--sank into decay. Hundreds ofthese establishments have been altogether abandoned--their pseudoconverts having returned once more to the savage state--and the ruins ofconvents and churches alone remain to attest that they ever existed. Those still in existence exhibit the mere remnants of their formerprosperity, and are only kept together by the exertions of the monksthemselves--backed by a slight thread of authority, which they derivefrom the superstitions they have been able to inculcate. In fact, inthe missions now existing, the monks have no other power than that whichthey wield through the terrors of the Church; and in most cases, these_padres_ constitute a sort of hierarch chieftaincy, which has supplantedthe old system of the _curacas_, or caciques. 

At one period the missions of the Napo were both numerous and powerful. That was while they were under the superintendence of those activeapostles, the Jesuit fathers; but most of their settlements have longago disappeared; and now only a few sparse stations exist along theborders of the great _Montana_. 

In ascending the Napo, our travellers had an opportunity of visitingsome of these old missionary establishments; and observing the oddrigmarole of superstitions there practised under the guise, and in thename of religion--a queer commingling of pagan rites with Christianceremonies--not unlike those Buddhistic forms from which these sameceremonies have been borrowed. 

One advantage our travellers derived from the existence of thesestations: they were enabled to obtain from them the provisions requiredupon their long riverine voyage; and without this assistance they wouldhave found it much more difficult to accomplish such a journey. 

Beyond Archidona the rest of the journey to Quito would have to beperformed on horseback, or rather muleback; but they were not goingdirect to Quito. Between them and the old Peruvian capital lay theeastern Cordillera of the Andes, and it was along its declivities, andin the valleys between its transverse spurs, facing the Montana, theywould have to search for the haunts of the bear. 

On the Napo itself, still higher up than Archidona--where the stream, fed by the snows of the grand volcano of Cotopaxi, issues from the spursof the Andes--there were they most likely to accomplish the object oftheir expedition, and thither determined they to go. 

Having procured mules and a guide, they proceeded onward; and after ajourney of three days--in which, from the difficulty of the roads, theyhad travelled less than fifty miles--they found themselves among thefoot-hills of the Andes--the giant Cotopaxi with his snowy cone toweringstupendous above their heads. 

Here they were in the proper range of the bears--a part of the countryfamous for the great numbers of these animals--and it only remained forthem to fix their headquarters in some village, and make arrangementsfor prosecuting the chase. 

The little town of Napo, called after the river, and situated as it isin the midst of a forest wilderness, offered all the advantages theyrequired; and, choosing it as their temporary residence, they were soonengaged in searching for the black bear of the Cordilleras. 

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE. 

EATING A NEGRO'S HEAD. 

According to their usual practice, they had hired one of the nativehunters of the district to act as a guide, and assist them in findingthe haunts of Bruin. In Napo they were fortunate in meeting with thevery man in the person of a _mestizo_, or half-blood Indian, whofollowed hunting for his sole calling. He was what is termed a"tigrero, " or tiger-hunter--which title he derived from the fact thatthe jaguar was the principal object of his pursuit. Among allSpanish-Americans--Mexicans included--the beautiful spotted jaguar iserroneously termed _tigre_ (tiger), as the puma or couguar is called_leon_ (lion). A hunter of the jaguar is therefore denominated a"tiger-hunter, " or _tigrero_. 

There are no puma or lion-hunters by profession--as there is nothingabout this brute to make it worth while--but hunting the jaguar is, inmany parts of Spanish America, a specific calling; and men make theirliving solely by following this occupation. One inducement is to obtainthe skin, which, in common with those of the great spotted cats of theOld World, is an article of commerce, and from its superior beautycommands a good price. But the _tigrero_ could scarce make out to liveupon the sale of the skins alone; for although a London furrier willcharge from two to three guineas for a jaguar's robe, the poor hunter inhis remote wilderness market can obtain little more than a tenth part ofthis price--notwithstanding that he has to risk his life, before he canstrip the fair mantle from the shoulders of its original wearer. 

It is evident, therefore, that jaguar-hunting would not pay, if therewas only the pelt to depend upon; but the _tigrero_ looks to anothersource of profit--the _bounty_. 

In the hotter regions of Spanish America, --the Brazils as well--thereare many settlements to which the jaguar is not only a pest, but aterror. Cattle in hundreds are destroyed by these great predatoryanimals; even full-grown horses are killed and dragged away by them!But is this all? Are the people themselves left unmolested? No. Onthe contrary, great numbers of human beings every year fall victims tothe rapacity of the jaguars. Settlements attempted on the edge of thegreat Montana--in the very country where our young hunters had nowarrived--have, after a time, been abandoned from this cause alone. Itis a well-known fact, that where a settlement has been formed, thejaguars soon become more plentiful in that neighbourhood: the increasedfacility of obtaining food--by preying on the cattle of the settlers, orupon the owners themselves--accounting for this augmentation in theirnumbers. It is precisely the same with the royal tiger of India, as isinstanced in the history of the modern settlement of Singapore. 

To prevent the increase of the jaguars then, a bounty is offered fortheir destruction. This bounty is sometimes the gift of the governmentof the country, and sometimes of the municipal authorities of thedistrict. Not unfrequently private individuals, who own large herds ofcattle, give a bounty out of their private purses for every jaguarkilled within the limits of their estates. Indeed, it is not anuncommon thing for the wealthy proprietor of a cattle-estate (_haciendade ganados_) to maintain one or more "tigreros" in his service--just asgamekeepers are kept by European grandees--whose sole business consistsin hunting and destroying the jaguar. These men are sometimes pureIndians, but, as a general thing, they are of the mixed, or _mestizo_race. It need hardly be said that they are hunters of the greatestcourage. They require to be so: since an encounter with a full-grownjaguar is but little less dangerous than with his striped congener ofthe Indian jungles. In these conflicts, the tigreros often receivesevere wounds from the teeth and claws of their terrible adversary; and, not unfrequently, the hunter himself becomes the victim. 

You may wonder that men are found to follow such a perilous calling, andwith such slight inducement--for even the bounty is only a trifle of adollar or two--differing in amount in different districts, and accordingto the liberality of the bestower. But it is in this matter as with allothers of a like kind--where the very danger itself seems to be thelure. 

The tigrero usually depends upon fire-arms for destroying his noblegame; but where his shot fails, and it is necessary to come to closequarters, he will even attack the jaguar with his _machete_--a speciesof half-knife half-sword, to be found in every Spanish-American cottagefrom California to Chili. 

Very often the jaguar is hunted without the gun. The tigrero, in thiscase, arms himself with a short spear, the shaft of which is made of astrong hard wood, either a _guaiacum_, or a piece of the split trunk ofone of the hardwood palms. 

The point of this spear is frequently without iron--only sharpened andhardened by being held in the fire--and with this in his left hand, andhis short sword in the right, the hunter advances with confidence uponhis formidable adversary. This confidence has been fortified by acontrivance which he has had the precaution to adopt--that is, ofenveloping his left arm in the ample folds of his blanket--_serape, roana_, or _poncho_, according to the country to which he belongs--andusing this as a shield. 

The left arm is held well forward, so that the woollen mass may coverhis body against the bound of the animal, and thus is the attackreceived. The jaguar, like all feline quadrupeds, springs directlyforward upon his prey. The tigrero prepared for this, and, with everynerve braced, receives the assailant upon the point of his short spear. Should the jaguar strike with its claws it only clutches the woollencloth; and while tearing at this--which it believes to be the body ofits intended victim--the right arm of the hunter is left free, and withthe sharp blade of his _machete_ he can either make cut or thrust at hispleasure. It is not always that the tigrero succeeds in destroying hisenemy without receiving a scratch or two in return; but a daring huntermakes light of such wounds--for these scars become badges ofdistinction, and give him _eclat_ among the villages of the Montana. 

Just such a man was the guide whom our young hunters had engaged, andwho, though a tiger-hunter by profession, was equally expert at thecapturing of a bear--when one of these animals chanced to stray downfrom the higher slopes of the mountains, into the warmer countryfrequented by the jaguars. It was not always that bears could be foundin these lower regions; but there is a particular season of the yearwhen the black bear (_ursus frugilegus_) descends far below his usualrange, and even wanders far out into the forests of the Montana. 

Of course there must be some inducement for his making this annualmigration from his mountain home; for the _ursus frugilegus_, thoughhere dwelling within the tropics, does not affect a tropical climate. Neither is he a denizen of the very cold plains--the _paramos_--thatextend among the summits of eternal snow. A medium temperature is hischoice; and this, as we have already stated, he finds among thefoot-hills, forming the lower zone of the Eastern Andes. It is there hespends most of his life, and that is his place of birth, andconsequently his true home. At a particular season of the year, corresponding to the summer of our own country, he makes a rovingexpedition to the lower regions; and for what purpose? This was thevery question which Alexis put to the tigrero. The answer was ascurious as laconic:

"_Comer la cabeza del negro_. " (To eat the negro's head!)

"Ha, ha! to eat the negro's head!" repeated Ivan, with an incredulouslaugh. 

"Just so, senorito!" rejoined the man; "that is what brings him downhere. "

"Why, the voracious brute!" said Ivan; "you don't mean to say that hemakes food of the heads of the poor negroes?"

"Oh no!" replied the tigrero, smiling in his turn; "it is not that. "

"What then?" impatiently inquired Ivan. "I've heard of negro-headtobacco. He's not a tobacco chewer, is he?"

"_Carrambo_! no, senorito, " replied the tiger-hunter, now laughingoutright; "that's not the sort of food the fellow is fond of. You'llsee it presently. By good luck, it's just in season now--just as thebears fancy it--or else we needn't look to start them here. We shouldhave to go further up the mountains: where they are more difficult bothto find and follow. But no doubt we'll soon stir one up, when we getamong the _cabezas del negro_. The nuts are just now full of theirsweet milky paste, of which the bears are so fond, and about a mile fromhere there are whole acres of the trees. I warrant we find a bear amongthem. "

Though still puzzled with this half-explanation, our young huntersfollowed the guide--confident that they would soon come in sight of the"negro's head. "

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX. 

THE TAGUA TREE. 

After going about a mile further, as their guide had forewarned them, they came within sight of a level valley, or rather a plain, coveredwith a singular vegetation. It looked as if it had been a forest ofpalms--the trunks of which had sunk down into the earth, and left onlythe heads, with their great radiating fronds above the ground! Some ofthem stood a foot or two above the surface; but most appeared as iftheir stems had been completely buried! They were growing all the same, however; and, at the bottom of each great bunch of pinnate leaves, couldbe seen a number of large, roundish objects--which were evidently thefruits of the plant. 

There was no mystery about the stems being buried underground. Therewere no stems, and never had been any--except those that were seenrising a yard or so above the surface. Neither was there any longer amystery about the "negro's head;" for the rounded fruit, with itswrinkled coriaceous pericarp--suggesting a resemblance to the littlecurly knots of wool on the head of an African--was evidently the objectto which the tigrero had applied the ambiguous appellation. 

What our hunters saw was neither more nor less than a grove of _Tagua_trees--better known as the "vegetable ivory. "

This singular tree was for a long time regarded as a plant of the_Oycas_ family; and by some botanists it has been classed among the_Pandanaceae_, or screw-pines. Growing, as its leaves do, almost out ofthe earth, or with only a short trunk, it bears a very markedresemblance to the cycads; but for all this, it is a true palm. Its nothaving a tall trunk is no reason why it should not be a palm, since manyother species of _palmaceae_ are equally destitute of a visible stem. It is now, however, acknowledged by the most expert botanists, that the"Tagua"--or "Cabeza del Negro, " as the Peruvians style it--is a palm;and it has been honoured as the representative of a genus(_Phytelephas_), of which there are but two species known--the greatfruited and little fruited (_macrocarpa_ and _microcarpa_). Both arenatives of the hot valleys of the Andes, and differ very little fromeach other; but it is the species with the larger fruit that isdistinguished by the figurative title of "negro's head. "

The Peruvian Indians use the pinnate fronds of both species forthatching their huts; but it is the nuts of the larger one that havegiven its great celebrity to the tree. These are of an oblongtriangular shape; and a great number of them are enclosed in thepericarp, already described. When young, they are filled with a wateryliquid that has no particular taste; though regarded by the Indians as amost refreshing beverage. A little older, this crystal-like fluid turnsof a milky colour and consistence; and still later it becomes a whitepaste. When fully ripe, it congeals to the whiteness and hardness ofivory itself; and, if kept out of water, is even more beautiful intexture than, the tusks of the elephant. It has been employed by theIndians from time immemorial in the construction of buttons, heads fortheir pipes, and many other purposes. Of late years it has found itsway into the hands of civilised artisans; and, since it can be procuredat a cheaper rate, and is quite equal to the real ivory for many usefuland ornamental articles, it has become an important item of commerce. 

But however much the vegetable ivory may be esteemed by the Indians, orby bipeds of any kind, there is one quadruped who thinks quite as muchof it as they, and that is the black bear of the Andes (_ursusfrugilegus_). It is not, however, when it has reached the condition ofivory that Bruin cares for it. Then the nut would be too hard, even forhis powerful jaws to crack. It is when it is in the milky state--orrather after it has become coagulated to a paste--that he relishes it;and with so much avidity does he devour the sweet pulp, that at thisseason he is easily discovered in the midst of his depredations, andwill scarce move away from his meal even upon the appearance of thehunter! While engaged in devouring his favourite negro-head, he appearsindifferent to any danger that may threaten him. 

Of this our hunters had proof, and very shortly after entering among thetagua trees. As the tigrero had predicted, they soon came upon the"sign" of a bear, and almost in the same instant discovered Bruinhimself browsing upon the fruit. 

The young hunters, and Pouchskin too, were about getting ready to fireupon him; when, to their surprise, they saw the tigrero, who was mountedon a prancing little horse, spur out in front of them, and galloptowards the bear. They knew that the killing of the animal should havebeen left to them; but, as they had given their guide no notice of this, they said nothing, but looked on--leaving the tigrero to manage mattersafter his own way. 

It was evident that he intended to attack the bear, and in a peculiarfashion. They knew this by seeing that he carried a coil of raw-hiderope over his arm, on one end of which there was a ring and loop. Theyknew, moreover, that this was a celebrated weapon of the SouthAmericans--the _lazo_, in short; but never having witnessed anexhibition of its use, they were curious to do so; and this alsoinfluenced them to keep their places. 

In a few minutes the horseman had galloped within some twenty paces ofthe bear. The latter took the alarm, and commenced trotting off; butwith a sullen reluctance, which showed that he had no great dispositionto shun the encounter. 

The ground was tolerably clear, the taguas standing far apart, and manyof them not rising higher than the bear's back. This gave thespectators an opportunity of witnessing the chase. 

It was not a long one. The bear perceiving that the horseman wasgaining upon him, turned suddenly in his tracks, and, with an angrygrowl, rose erect upon his hind legs, and stood facing his pursuer in anattitude of defiance. As the horseman drew near, however, he appearedto become cowed, and once more turning tail, shambled off through thebushes. This time he only ran a few lengths: for the shouts of thehunter provoking him to a fresh fit of fury, caused him to halt again, and raise himself erect as before. 

This was just the opportunity of which the hunter was in expectation;and before the bear could lower himself on all-fours--to charge forwardupon the horse, the long rope went spinning through the air, and itsnoose was seen settling over the shoulders of the bear. The hugequadruped, puzzled by this mode of attack, endeavoured to seize hold ofthe rope; but so thin was the raw-hide thong, that he could not clutchit with his great unwieldy paws; and by his efforts he only drew thenoose tighter around his neck. 

Meanwhile, the hunter, on projecting the lazo, had wheeled, with thequickness of thought; and, driving his sharp spurs into the ribs of hishorse, caused the latter to gallop in the opposite direction. One mighthave supposed that he had taken fright at the bear, and was endeavouringto get out of the way. Not so. His object was very different. Thelazo still formed a link of connection between the hunter and his game. One end of it was fast to a staple firmly imbedded in the wood of thesaddle-tree, while the other, as we have seen, was noosed around thebear. As the horse stretched off, the rope was seen to tighten with asudden jerk; and Bruin was not only floored from his erect attitude, butplucked clear off his feet, and laid sprawling along the earth. In thatposition he was not permitted to remain: for the horse continuing hisgallop, he was dragged along the ground at the end of the lazo--his hugebody now bounding several feet from the earth, and now breaking throughthe bushes with a crackling, crashing noise, such as he had himselfnever made in his most impetuous charges. 

In this way went horse and bear for half a mile over the plain; thespectators following after to witness the ending of the affair. Aboutthat there was nothing particular: for when the tigrero at lengthhalted, and the party got up to the ground, they saw only an immobilemass of shaggy hair--so coated with dust as to resemble a heap of earth. It was the bear without a particle of breath in his body; but, lest hemight recover it again, the tigrero leaped from his horse, stepped up tothe prostrate bear, and buried his _machete_ between the ribs of theunconscious animal. 

That, he said, was the way they captured bears in his part of thecountry. They did not employ the same plan with the jaguars: becausethese animals, crouching, as they do, offered no opportunity for castingthe noose over them; and, besides, the jaguars haunt only among thickwoods, where the lazo could not be used to advantage. 

Of course, the skin of this particular bear was not suitable for thepurpose for which one was required; and the tigrero kept it for his ownprofit. But that did not signify: another bear was soon discoveredamong the tagua trees; and this being despatched by a shot from therifle of Alexis, --supplemented, perhaps, by a bullet from the fusil ofthe ex-guardsman, --supplied them with a skin according to contract; andso far as the _ursus frugilegus_ was concerned, their bear-hunting inthat neighbourhood was at an end. To find his cousin with the "goggleeyes, " they would have to journey onward and upward; and adopting fortheir motto the spirit-stirring symbol "Excelsior!" they proceeded toclimb the stupendous Cordilleras of the Andes. 

In one of the higher valleys, known among Peruvians as the "Sierra, "they obtained a specimen of the "Hucumari. " They chanced upon thiscreature while he was engaged in plundering a field of Indian corn--quite close to a "tambo, " or traveller's shed, where they had put up forthe night. It was very early in the morning when the corn-stealer wasdiscovered; but being caught in the act, and his whole attention takenup with the sweet milky ears of maize, his "spectacled" eyes did notavail him. Our hunters, approaching with due caution, were able to getso near, that the first shot tumbled him over among the stalks. 

Having secured his skin, they mounted their mules, and by the greatCordillera road proceeded onward to the ancient capital of northernPeru. 

CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN. 

NORTHWARD!

After resting some days in the old capital of Quito, our travellersproceeded to the small port of Barbacoas, on the west coast of Equador;and thence took passage for Panama. Crossing the famous isthmus toPorto Bello, they shipped again for New Orleans, on the Mississippi. Ofcourse, their next aim was to procure the North American bears--including the Polar, which is equally an inhabitant of northern Asia, but which, by the conditions of their route, would be more convenientlyreached on the continent of North America. Alexis knew that the blackbear (_ursus americanus_) might be met with anywhere on that continentfrom the shores of Hudson's Bay to the isthmus of Panama, and from theseaboard of the Atlantic to the coast of the Pacific Ocean. No otherhas so wide a range as this species--with the exception, perhaps, of thebrown bear of Europe--which, as we have said, is also an Asiatic animal. Throughout the whole extent of country above defined, the black bearmay be encountered, not specially confining himself to mountain-ranges. True, in the more settled districts he has been driven to these--asaffording him a refuge from the hunter; but in his normal condition heis by no means a mountain-dwelling animal. On the contrary, he affectsequally the low-wooded bottoms of ravines, and is as much at home in aclimate of tropical or sub-tropical character, as in the cold forests ofthe Canadas. 

Mr Spencer Baird--the naturalist intrusted by the American Governmentto describe the _fauna_ of their territory, and furnished for his textwith one of the most splendid collections ever made--in speaking of thegenus _ursus_, makes the following remarks:--

"The species of bears are not numerous, nor are they to be found exceptin the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. North Americapossesses more species than any other part of the world, having at leastfour, and perhaps five. "

With the exception of the very idle assertion that "the species of bearsare not numerous, " every idea put forth in the above categoricaldeclaration is the very reverse of what is true. 

Is the polar bear found only in the temperate regions of the northernhemisphere? Is the _ursus arctos_ of Europe confined to these limits?Are the bears of South America?--the sloth bear of India and Ceylon?--the bruang of Borneo?--and his near congener, the bruang of Java andSumatra? Why, these last are actually dwellers among palm-trees--as thecocoa-planters know to their cost! Even Mr Baird's own American blackbear is not so "temperate" in his habits; but loves the half-tropicalclimate of Florida and Texas quite as much as the cold declivities ofthe Alleghanies. 

And how does North America possess more species than any other part ofthe world? Even admitting the doubtful fifth, on the continent of Asiathere are six species at the very least; and, if we are allowed toinclude the Oriental islands, we make eight Asiatic. There are threespecies in the Himalaya mountains alone--unquestionably distinct, dwelling in separate zones of altitude, but with the territory of allthree visible at a single _coup d'oeil_. 

Mr Baird is a naturalist of great celebrity in America. He is asecretary of the Smithsonian Institution: he should make better use ofthe books which its fine library can afford him. 

The United States' Government is extremely unfortunate in the selectionof its scientific _employes_--more especially in the departments ofnatural history. Perhaps the most liberal appropriation ever made forethnological purposes--that for collecting a complete account of theNorth American Indians--has been spent without purpose, the "job" havingfallen into the hands of a "placeman, " or "old hunker, " as the Americansterm it--a man neither learned nor intellectual. With the exception ofthe statistics furnished by Indian agents, the voluminous work ofSchoolcraft is absolutely worthless; and students of ethnology cannotcontemplate such a misappropriation without feelings of regret. 

Fortunately, the American aboriginal had already found a true portrayerand historian. Private enterprise, as is not unfrequently the case, hasoutstripped Government patronage in the performance of its task. In theunpretending volumes of George Catlin we find the most completeethnological monograph ever given to the world; but just for thatreason, Catlin, not Schoolcraft, should have been chosen for the "job. "

Knowing the range of the black bear to be thus grandly extended, ouryoung hunters had a choice of places in which to look for one; but, asthere is no place where these animals are more common than in Louisianaitself, they concluded that they could not do better than there choosetheir hunting-ground. In the great forests, which still cover a largeportion of Louisiana, and especially upon the banks of the sluggish_bayous_, where the marshy soil and the huge cypress trees, festoonedwith Spanish moss, bid defiance to all attempts at cultivation, theblack bear still roams at will. There he is found in sufficient numbersto ensure the procuring of a specimen without much difficulty. 

The hunters of these parts have various modes of capturing him. Thelog-trap is a common plan; but the planters enjoy the sport of runninghim down with dogs; or rather should it be termed running him up; sincethe chase usually ends by Bruin taking to a tree, and thus unconsciouslyputting himself within reach of the unerring rifle. 

It was by this means that our young hunters determined to try theirluck; and they had no difficulty in procuring the necessary adjuncts toensure success. The great Czar, powerful everywhere, was not withouthis agent at New Orleans. From him a letter of introduction wasobtained to a planter living on one of the interior _bayous_; and ourheroes, having repaired thither, were at once set in train for thesport--the planter placing himself, his house, his hounds, and hishorses at their disposal. 

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT. 

THE NORTHERN FORESTS. 

On their arrival, the hospitable planter sent to his neighbours, andarranged a grand hunt, to come off at an early day specified in theinvitation. Each was to bring with him such hounds as he was possessedof--and in this way a large pack might be got together, so that a wideextent of forest could be driven. 

Among the planters of the Southern states this is a very commonpractice: only a few of them keeping what might be called a regularkennel of hounds, but many of them having five or six couples. In aneighbourhood favourable to the chase, by uniting a number of theselittle bands together, a pack may be got up large enough for anypurpose. 

The usual game hunted in the Southern states is the American fallow-deer(_cervus virginianus_), which is still found in considerable plenty inthe more solitary tracts of forest all over the United States. It isthe only species of deer indigenous to Louisiana: since, the noble stagor "elk, " as he is erroneously called (_cervus canadensis_), does notrange so far to the south. On the Pacific coast this animal is found inmuch lower latitudes than on that of the Atlantic. 

Besides the fallow-deer, the fox gives sport to the Louisiana hunter. This is the grey fox (_vulpes virginianus_). The bay lynx also--or wildcat, as it is called (_lynx rufus_)--and now and then, but more rarely, the cougar (_felis concolor_), give the hounds a run before taking tothe tree. 

Racoons, opossums, and skunks are common enough in the forests ofLouisiana; but these are regarded as "vermin, " and are not permitted tolead the dogs astray. 

With regard to the other animals mentioned, they all rank as noblegame--especially the cougar, called "panther" by the backwoodsman--andthe pack may follow whichever is first "scared up. "

The grand game, however, is the bear; and the capture of Bruin is not afeat of everyday occurrence. To find his haunts it is necessary to makean excursion into the more unfrequented and inaccessible solitudes ofthe forest--in places often many miles from a settlement. Notunfrequently, however, the old gentleman wanders abroad from his unknownretreat, and seeks the plantations--where in the night-time he skulksround the edges of the fields, and commits serious depredations on theyoung maize plants, or the succulent stalks of the sugar-cane, of whichhe is immoderately fond. Like his brown congener of Europe he has asweet tooth, and is greatly given to honey. To get at it he climbs thebee-trees, and robs the hive of its stores. In all these respects he islike the brown bear; but otherwise he differs greatly from the latterspecies, so much indeed, that it is matter of surprise how anynaturalist should have been led to regard them as the same. 

Not only in colour, but in shape and other respects, are they totallyunlike. While the fur of the brown bear is tossed and tufty--havingthat appearance usually termed _shaggy_--that of the American black bearis of uniform length, and all lying, or rather standing, in onedirection, presenting a smooth surface corresponding to the contour ofhis body. In this respect he is far more akin to the bears of theAsiatic islands, than to the _ursus arctos_. In shape, too, he differsessentially from the latter. His body is more slender, his muzzlelonger and sharper, and his profile is a curve with its convexityupward. This last characteristic, which is constant, proclaims himindubitably a distinct species from the brown bear of Europe; and he isaltogether a smaller and more mild-tempered animal. 

As the grand "chasse" had been arranged to come off on the third dayafter their arrival, our young hunters determined to employ the intervalin ranging the neighbouring woods; not with any expectation of finding abear--as their host did not believe there was any so near--but ratherfor the purpose of becoming acquainted with the character of the NorthAmerican _sylva_. 

That of South America Alexis had carefully observed and studied in theirlong journey across that continent. He had noted the grand tropicaltrees--the palms and _pothos_ plants--the _mimosas_ and _musaceae_--themagnificent forms of the _lombax_ and _bertholletia_--the curious_cecropias_ and fig-trees--the giant _cedrelas_ and the gum-yielding_siphonias_. On the Andes he had observed the agaves, the cycads, andcactaceae--all strange to the eye of a Russian. He was now desirous ofmaking himself familiar with the forests of North America; which, thoughof a sub-tropical character in Louisiana, contained forms altogetherdifferent from those of the Amazonian regions. Here he would meet withthe famed magnolia, and its relative the tulip-tree; the catalpa andflowering cornel, the giant cypress and sycamore, the evergreen oak, thewater-loving tupelo, and the curious fan-like palmetto. Of these, andmany other beautiful trees belonging to the North American _sylva_, Alexis had read--in fact, knew them botanically; but he wished tocultivate a still pleasanter acquaintance with them, by visiting them intheir own native home. 

For this purpose he and Ivan set out alone, with only a negro for theirguide; the planter being engaged, visiting his different friends, andwarning them for the grand hunt. 

Pouchskin remained behind. He had been left at the house--to do somenecessary repairs to the travelling traps both of himself and his youngmasters, which, after their long South American expedition, neededlooking to. At this work had Pouchskin been left, surrounded by acircle of grinning darkies, in whose company the old grenadier wouldfind material to interest and amuse him. 

It was only for a stroll that our young hunters had sallied forth, andwithout any design of entering upon the chase; but they had become soaccustomed to carrying their guns everywhere, that these were takenalong with them. Some curious bird or quadruped might be started--whosefur or feathers they might fancy to make an examination of. For thatreason, both shouldered their guns. 

CHAPTER THIRTY NINE. 

THE LONE LAGOON. 

They were soon beyond the bounds of the plantation, and walking underthe dark majestic woods--the darkey guiding them on their way. They hadheard of a curious lake or lagoon, that lay about a mile from theplantation. There they would be likely to witness a spectaclecharacteristic of the swamps of Louisiana; and thither they directedtheir steps. 

Sure enough, on arriving at the borders of the lagoon, a singular scenewas presented to their eyes. The whole surface of the lake appearedalive with various forms of birds and reptiles. Hundreds of alligatorswere seen, lying like dead trees upon the water, their corrugated backsappearing above the surface. Most of them, however, were in motion, swimming to and fro, or darting rapidly from point to point, as if inpursuit of prey. Now and then their huge tails could be seen curlinghigh up in air, and then striking down upon the water, causing aconcussion that echoed far through the forest. At intervals a shiningobject, flung upward by their tails, could be seen for a moment in theair, amidst the showery spray that was raised along with it. It waseasy to see that the glittering forms thus projected were fishes, andthat it was the pursuit of these that was causing the commotion amongthe huge reptiles. Aquatic birds, of a great number of kinds, wereequally busy in the pursuit of the fish. Huge pelicans stood up totheir tibia in the water--now and then immersing their long mandiblesand tossing their finny victims high into the air. Cranes and heronstoo were there--among others the tall Louisiana crane--conspicuous amongthe smaller species--snow-white egrets, the wood ibis, and others ofwhite and roseate hue--the snake-darter, with long pointed beak andcrouching serpent-like neck--the qua-bird, of lugubrious note andmelancholy aspect--and, fairest of all, the scarlet flamingo. 

Other birds besides those of aquatic habits took part in the oddspectacle. Hovering in the air were black vultures--the carrion crowand the turkey-buzzard--and upon the tops of tall dead trees could beseen the king of the feathered multitude, the great white-headed eagle. His congener, the osprey, soared craftily above--at intervals swoopingdown, and striking his talons into the fish, which the alligators hadtossed into the air--thus robbing the reptiles of their prey, to berobbed in turn by his watchful cousin-german upon the tree. Thespectacle was far from being a silent one: on the contrary, the confusedchorus of sounds was deafening to the ears of the spectators. Thehoarse bellowing of the alligators--the concussions made by their greattails striking the water--the croaking of the pelicans, and theclattering of their huge mandibles--the doleful screaming of the herons, cranes, and qua-birds--the shrieks of the osprey--and the shrill maniaclaughter of the white-headed eagle, piercing through all other sounds--formed a medley of voices as unearthly as inharmonious. 

A shot from the gun of Ivan, that brought down a splendid specimen ofthe white-headed eagle--together with the appearance of the hunters bythe edge of the water--put a sudden termination to this grand drama ofthe wilderness. The birds flew up into the air, and went soaring off indifferent directions over the tops of the tall trees; while the hugereptiles, that had been taught by the alligator hunters to fear thepresence of man, desisted for a while from their predatory prey, andretreated to the reeds upon the opposite shore. 

The spectacle was one well worthy of being seen, and one that cannot bewitnessed every day--even in the swamps of Louisiana. Its occurrence atthat time was accounted for by the drying up of the lake, which left thefish at the mercy of their numerous enemies. 

Having taken up the eagle which Ivan had shot, the young hunterscontinued their excursion along the edge of the lagoon. 

They had not gone far when they came upon a bank of mud, that hadformerly been covered with water. So recently had the water dried fromit, that, in spite of the hot sun shining down upon it, the mud wasstill soft. They had not gone many steps further, when they perceivedupon its surface, what at first they supposed to be the tracks of a man. On getting a little closer, however, they doubted this; and, nowrecollecting the resemblance which they had noticed in the snows ofLapland--between the footsteps of a human being and those of a bear--itoccurred to them that these might also be bear-tracks--though they knewthat the tracks of the American bear would be slightly different fromthose of his European cousin. 

To satisfy themselves, they hastened forward to examine the tracks; buttheir negro guide had anticipated them, and now called out, with thewhites of his eyes considerably enlarged--

"Golly, young mass'rs! dat be de tracks ob um ba!"

"A bear!"

"Ya, ya, mass'rs! a big ba--dis child know um track--see'd um many detime--de ole coon he be arter de fish too--all ob dem a-doin' a bit obfishin' dis mornin'--yaw, yaw, yaw!"

And the darkey laughed at what he appeared to consider an excellentjoke. 

On closely scrutinising the tracks, Alexis and Ivan saw that they werein reality the tracks of a bear--though much smaller than those they hadfollowed in Lapland. They were quite fresh--in fact, so recently didthey appear to have been made, that both at the same time, and by aninvoluntary impulse, raised their eyes from the ground and glancedaround them; as if they expected to see the bear himself. 

No such animal was in sight, however. It was quite probable he had beenon the ground, at their first coming up to the lake; but the report ofIvan's gun had alarmed him, and he had made off into the woods. Thiswas quite probable. 

"What a pity, " reflected Ivan, "that I didn't leave the eagle alone! Wemight have got sight of Master Bruin, and given him the shot instead. And now, " added he, "what's to be done? There's no snow, --therefore wecan't track the brute. The mud bank ends here, and he's gone off it, the way he came? Of course he wouldn't be out yonder among those logs?He wouldn't have taken shelter there, would he?"

As Ivan spoke, he pointed to a little peninsula that jutted out into thelake, some twenty or thirty yards beyond the spot where they werestanding. It was joined to the mainland by a narrow neck or isthmus ofmud; but at the end towards the water there was a space of several yardscovered with dead trees--that had been floated thither in the floods, and now lay high and dry, piled irregularly upon one another. 

Alexis looked in the direction of this pile as Ivan pointed it out. 

"I'm not so sure of that, " he answered, after scrutinising the logs. "It's a likely enough place for an animal to lurk. He might be there?"

"Let us go and see, then!" said Ivan. "If he's there he can't escapeus, without our having a shot at him; and you say that these Americanbears are much easier killed than ours. The South Americans were so, certainly. I hope their northern brothers may die as easy. "

"Not all, " rejoined Alexis. "We may expect some tough struggles when wecome to the great grizzly, and to him of the polar regions; but theblack bears are, as you conjecture, not so difficult to deal with. Ifwounded, however, they will show fight; and, though their teeth andclaws are less dangerous than the others, they can give a man a mostuncomfortable hug, I have heard. But let us go, as you say. If notyonder, he must have taken to the woods. In that case there is no wayof following him up, except by dogs; and for these we must go back tothe house. "

As they continued talking, they advanced towards the narrow isthmus thatconnected the little peninsula with the mainland. 

"What a pity, " remarked Ivan, "that that great log is there! But for itwe might have seen his track in the mud crossing over. "

Ivan referred to a prostrate trunk that traversed the isthmuslongitudinally--extending from the mainland to the higher ground of thepeninsula, to which it formed a kind of bridge or causeway. Certainly, had it not been there, either the bear's tracks would have been seen inthe mud or not; and if not, then no bear could have passed over to thepeninsula, and their exploration would have been unnecessary. But, although they saw no tracks, they had started to examine the wood pile;and they continued on, climbing up to the log, and walking along itstop. 

All at once, Alexis was seen to pause and bend his body forward anddownward. 

"What is it?" inquired Ivan, who was behind, on seeing his brother inthe bent attitude, as if he looked at something on the log. 

"The bear's tracks!" answered Alexis, in a low but earnest tone. 

"Ha! you think so? Where?"

Alexis pointed to the dead-wood under his eyes--upon the bark of whichwere visible, not the tracks of a bear, but dabs of mud, that must havebeen recently deposited there, either by the feet of a bear, or someother animal. 

"By the Great Peter!" said Ivan, speaking cautiously, notwithstandinghis innocent adjuration; "that must be his tracks? It's the same sortof mud as that in which we've just been tracing him--black as inknearly. It has come off his great paws--not a doubt of it, brother?"

"I think it is likely, " assented Alexis, at the same time that bothlooked to the locks of their guns, and saw that the caps were on thenipples. 

A little further along the log, the bark was smoother, and there thetrack was still more conspicuous. The print was better denned, andanswered well for the footmark of a bear. There was the naked paw, andthe balls of the five toes, all complete. They no longer doubted thatit was the track of a bear. 

It was just a question whether the animal had gone over the log andreturned again. But this was set at rest, or nearly so, by a closerscrutiny. There was no sign of a return track. True, he might havewashed his paws in the interval, or cleaned them on the dead-wood; butthat was scarce probable, and our hunters did not think so. They feltperfectly sure that the bear was before them; and, acting upon thisbelief, they cocked their guns, and continued their approach towards thewood pile. 

CHAPTER FORTY. 

A DARKEY ON BEAR-BACK. 

Both the young hunters succeeded in passing over the log, and had setfoot on the peninsula; while the negro, who was following a littlebehind, was still upon the prostrate trunk. Just at that moment a noisewas heard--very similar to that made by a pig when suddenly started fromits bed of straw--a sort of half snort, half grunt; and along with thenoise a huge black body was seen springing up from under the loose pileof dead trees, causing several of them to shake and rattle under itsweight. Our hunters saw at a glance that it was the bear; and levelledtheir guns upon it with the intention of firing. 

The animal had reared itself on its hind legs--as if to reconnoitre theground--and while in this attitude both the hunters had sighted it, andwere on the eve of pulling their triggers. Before they could do so, however, the bear dropped back on all-fours. So sudden was themovement, that the aim of both was quite disconcerted, and they bothlowered their guns to get a fresh one. The delay, however, proved fatalto their intention. Before either had got a satisfactory sight upon thebody of the bear, the latter sprang forward with a fierce growl, andrushed right between the two, so near that it was impossible for eitherof them to fire otherwise than at random. Ivan did fire, but to nopurpose; for his bullet went quite wide of the bear, striking the logbehind it, and causing the bark to splinter out in all directions. Thebear made no attempt to charge towards them, but rushed straight on--evidently with no other design than to make his escape to the woods. Alexis wheeled round to fire after him; but, as he was raising his gun, his eye fell upon the negro, who was coming on over the log, and who hadjust got about halfway across it. The bear had by this time leaped upon the other end, and in a hurried gallop--that had been quickened bythe report of Ivan's piece--was going right in the opposite direction. The negro, who saw the huge shaggy quadruped coming straight towardshim, at once set up a loud "hulla-balloo, " and, with his eyes almoststarting from their sockets, was endeavouring to retreat backwards, andget out of the way. 

His efforts proved fruitless: for before he had made three steps to therear, the bear--more frightened at the two adversaries behind him thanthe one in front--rushed right on, and in the next instant pushed hissnout, head, and neck between the darkey's legs!

Long before this the negro had lost his senses, but now came the loss ofhis legs: for as the thick body of the bear passed between them, bothwere lifted clear up from the log, and hung dangling in the air. Forseveral feet along the log was the negro carried upon the bear's back, his face turned to the tail; and no doubt, had he preserved hisequilibrium, he might have continued his ride for some distance further. But as the darkey had no desire for such a feat of equestrianism, hekept struggling to clear himself from his involuntary mount. His bodywas at length thrown heavily to one side, and its weight acting like alever upon the bear, caused the latter to lose his balance, and tumblingoff the log, both man and bear fell "slap-dash" into the mud. 

For a moment there was a confused scrambling, and spattering, andsplashing, through the soft mire--a growling on the part of the bear, and the wildest screeching from the throat of the affrighted negro--allof which came to an end by Bruin--whose body was now bedaubed all overwith black mud--once more regaining his feet, and shuffling off up thebank, as fast as his legs could carry him. 

Alexis now fired, and hit the bear behind; but the shot, so far fromstaying his flight, only quickened his pace; and before the darkey hadgot to his feet, the shaggy brute had loped off among the trees, anddisappeared from the sight of everybody upon the ground. 

The grotesque appearance of the negro, as he rose out of the mire inwhich he had been wallowing, coated all over with black mud--which was ashade lighter than his natural hue--was too ludicrous for Ivan to resistlaughing at; and even the more serious Alexis was compelled to give wayto mirth. So overcome were both, that it was some minutes before theythought of reloading their guns, and giving chase to the bear. 

After a time, however, they charged again; and crossing back over thelog, proceeded in the direction in which Bruin had made his retreat. 

They had no idea of being able to follow him without dogs; and it wastheir intention to send for one or two to the house, when they perceivedthat the bear's trace could be made out--at least, for some distance--without them. The inky water, that had copiously saturated his longfur, had been constantly dripping as he trotted onward in his flight;and this could easily be seen upon the herbage over which he had passed. 

They determined, therefore, to follow this trail as far as they could;and when it should give out, it would be time enough to send for thedogs. 

They had not proceeded more than a hundred yards; when all at once thetrail trended up to the bottom of a big tree. They might have examinedthe ground further, but there was no need; for, on looking up to thetrunk, they perceived large blotches of mud, and several scratches uponthe bark, evidently made by the claws of a bear. These scratches were, most of them, of old date; but there were one or two of them quitefreshly done; besides, the wet mud was of itself sufficient proof thatthe bear had gone up the tree, and must still be somewhere in its top. The tree was a sycamore, and therefore only sparsely covered withleaves; but from its branches hung long festoons of Spanish moss(_tillandsia usneoides_), that grew in large bunches in the forks--inseveral of which it was possible even for a bear to have stowed himselfaway in concealment. 

After going round the tree, however, and viewing it from all sides, ourhunters perceived that the bear was not anywhere among the moss; butmust have taken refuge in a hollow in the trunk--the mouth of whichcould be seen only from one particular place; since it was hidden on allother sides by two great limbs that led out from it, and between whichthe cavity had been formed by the decaying of the heart-wood. 

There could be no doubt that Bruin had entered this tree-cave; for allaround the aperture the bark was scraped and worn; and the wet mud, lately deposited there, was visible from below. 

CHAPTER FORTY ONE. 

CUTTING OUT THE BEAR. 

The question was, how he was to be got out? Perhaps by making a noisehe might issue forth?

This plan was at once tried, but without success. While the negrorasped the bark with a pole, and struck the stick at intervals againstthe trunk, the hunters stood, with guns cocked, watching the hole, andready to give the bear a reception, the moment he should show himselfoutside. 

It was all to no purpose. Bruin was too cunning for them, and did notprotrude even the tip of his snout out of his secure cavity. 

After continuing the rasping, and repeating the blows, till the woodsechoed the sonorous concussions, they became convinced that this planwould not serve their purpose, and desisted from it. 

On examining the track more closely, they now perceived spots of bloodmixed among the mud which the bear had rubbed off upon the bark. Thisconvinced them that the animal was wounded, and therefore there would beno chance of starting him out from his hole. It was no doubt the woundthat had led him to retreat to this tree, so near the place where he hadbeen attacked, otherwise he would have led them a longer chase throughthe woods before attempting to hide himself. When, severely wounded, the black bear betakes himself to the first hollow log or tree he canfind; and taking refuge in it, will there remain--even to die in hisden, if the wound has been a fatal one. 

Knowing this habit of the animal, our hunters perceived that they had nochance of again setting their eyes upon the bear, except by cutting downthe tree; and they resolved to adopt this method, and fell the greatsycamore to the ground. 

The darkey was despatched to the plantation; and soon returned with halfa dozen of his brethren, armed with axes--Pouchskin heading the sableband. Without further delay the chopping began; and the white chipsflew out from the great trunk in all directions. 

In about an hour's time the sycamore came crashing down, carrying anumber of smaller trees along with it. The hunters, who expected thatthe bear would at once spring forth, had taken their position to coverthe mouth of the cavity with their guns; but, to their surprise, thetree fell, and lay as it had fallen, without any signs of Bruin. Thiswas strange enough; for, as the negroes alleged, in all similar casesthe bear is certain to charge out upon the fall of a tree that containshim!

A sapling was now obtained, and inserted into the cavity--at first withcaution, but after a time it was punched in with all the force thatPouchskin could put into his arm. He could feel the bear quitedistinctly; but poke the animal as he might, it would not stir. 

It was suggested that they should cut into the trunk--at a placeopposite to where the bear was encased--and then they could drag him outat will; and, although this would cost a good deal of trouble, itappeared to be the only mode of reaching the obstinate animal. 

This course was followed, therefore; and a cross section being made ofthe hollow trunk, the shaggy hair was at length reached, and then thebody of Bruin, who was found to be dead as a nail!

They no longer wondered that he had paid no heed to the punching of thepole. The bullet of Alexis had traversed his huge body in alongitudinal direction, until it had lodged in a vital part, and, ofcourse, it was this that had deprived him of life. He would, therefore, have died all the same, and in his tree-den, too, whether they hadpursued him or not. 

Our hunters learnt from their negro assistants a singular fact inrelation to the black bear: and that is, that the tree-cavity in whichthe animal often takes shelter, or goes to sleep, is rarely of greaterwidth than his own body! In most cases it is so narrow, that he cannotturn round in it, nor has it any lair at the bottom wide enough for himto lie down upon. It follows, therefore, that he must sleep in astanding position, or squatted upon his hams. It is in this attitude hemakes his descent into the cavity, and in the same way comes down thetrunk of the tree, when at any time making his departure from his den. From this it would appear that the upright attitude is as natural tothis animal, as that of resting on all-fours, or even lying prostrate onthe ground; for it is well-known that, farther to the north--where thewinters are more severe, and where the black bear hybernates for a shortseason--he often takes his nap in a tree-cavity, which his bodycompletely fills, without the possibility of his turning round in it!One precaution he takes, and that is, to scrape off all the rotten woodaround the sides of the cavity; but for what purpose he exercises thiscurious instinct, neither hunter nor naturalist can tell. Perhaps it isthat the projections may not press against his body, and thus render hiscouch uncomfortable?

Our young hunters found this bear one of the largest of his species, andhis skin, after the mud had been washed off, proved to be an excellentspecimen. 

Of course, they coveted no other; but for all that, they had thepleasure of being present at the death of several bears, killed in thegreat hunt that came off on the appointed day. 

A deer-chase was also got up for their special entertainment--duringwhich a cougar was "treed" and killed--an event of rarer occurrence thaneven the death of a bear; for the cougar is now one of the scarcestquadrupeds to be met with in the forests of North America. 

Another entertainment which the planter provided for his guests was a"_barbecue_"--a species of festival peculiar to the backwoods ofAmerica, and which, on account of its peculiarity, deserves a word ortwo of description. 

CHAPTER FORTY TWO. 

THE SQUATTER'S BARGAIN. 

As we have just said, the barbecue is a festival which especiallybelongs to the backwoods settlements, although it has now become knowneven in the older States, and often forms a feature in the greatpolitical meetings of an election campaign--losing, however, much of itstrue character in the elaborate adornments and improvements sometimesbestowed upon it. 

When Alexis and Ivan strolled down in the early morning to the quietglade which had been selected as the scene of this rural festivity, theyfound there a noisy and bustling crowd. A monstrous fire of logs, enough to roast not only a single ox, but a hecatomb of oxen, wasblazing near the edge of the glade, while a half-dozen chatteringnegroes were busy digging a great pit close by. This pit, when entirelyexcavated, measured some ten or twelve feet in length, by five or six inwidth, and perhaps three in depth; and was lined with smooth flatstones. As soon as the logs had ceased to flame and smoke, and werefast falling into a mighty heap of glowing ruddy coals, they wereshovelled hastily into the pit. Another party of negroes had been busyin the woods, searching out the tall slender saplings of the pawpaw(_asimina triloba_), and now returned, bringing their spoil with them. The saplings were laid across the top of the pit, thus extemporisingover it a huge gridiron. The ox, which was to form the staple of theday's feast, had been killed and dressed; and, having been split inhalves after the fashion of the barbecue, was laid upon the bars toroast. Proudly presiding over the operation was the major-domo of theplanter's household, assisted by several celebrated cooks of theneighbourhood, and a score of chosen farm-hands, whose strength was everand anon invoked to turn the beef; while the _chef_ ordered a freshbasting, or himself sprinkled the browning surface with the savourydressing of pepper, salt, and fine herbs, for the composition of whichhe had attained a grand reputation. 

The morning wore swiftly on in the observation of these novelmanoeuvres; and with the noon came the guests in numbers from theneighbouring plantations and settlements. Even the determinedresistance of the toughest beef must have failed before the hot attackof such an army of live coals, as had lain intrenched in the deepfireplace; and the tender joints of the enormous _boeuf roti_ were readyto bear their share in the festivities almost as soon as the invitedcompany. Separated with great cleavers, and laid into white button-woodtrays hollowed out for the purpose, they were borne rapidly to the shadynook selected for the dining-place, followed by vast supplies of sweetpotatoes, roasted in the ashes, and of rich, golden maize bread. Abarrel of rare cider was broached; while good old-fashioned puddings, and the luscious fruits of the region completed the bill of fare inhonour of the day. Of course "joy was unconfined. " Everybodypronounced the roast a grand success; and the young Russians thoughtthat they had never tasted so appetising a meal. With the exhilarationof the fresh, clear air, the encouragement of hearty appetite, and thefull flavour of the meat--for it is well-known that the sap which exudesfrom the pawpaw, when thus exposed to fire, adds a new relish towhatever is cooked upon it--combined to make a dinner fit for the Czarhimself; and they determined to attempt, at some time, an imitation ofthe Southern barbecue under the colder sky of Russia. 

Merriment was unbounded; healths were drunk, songs sung, odd speechesmade, and stories told. 

One of the last in particular made an impression upon our heroes;partly, because it was a bear story, and partly because it illustrated avery characteristic phase of squatter life and practical humour. Infact, Alexis made a sketch of it in his journal, and from his notes wenow reconstruct it. 

Two squatters had occupied lands not far from each other, and withinsome eight or ten miles of a small town. Busied in clearing off thewoodland, each bethought himself of a source of revenue beyond theproduce of his tilled ground. He would occupy an occasional leisure dayin hauling to the town, the logs which he cut from time to time, andthen selling them as firewood. This unity of purpose naturally broughtthe two men into competition with one another for the limited custom ofthe settlement; and a rivalry sprang up between them, which was fastripening into jealousy and ill-will, when a curious coincidenceoccurred. 

Each owned a single yoke of oxen, which he used regularly in his farmlabour, and also in dragging his wood to market. Within a week eachlost an ox; one dying of some bovine distemper, --the other being soinjured by the fall of a tree, that his owner had been obliged to killhim. 

As one ox could not draw a wood-wagon, the occupation of both squattersas wood merchants was gone--and even farm operations were likely tosuffer. Each soon heard of his neighbour's predicament; and proposed tohimself to make a bargain for the remaining ox, that he might be thepossessor of the pair, continue his clearing prosperously, and commandthe wood-hauling business. But, as one might suppose, where bothparties were so fully bent upon accomplishing their own ends, the tradewas no nearer a conclusion when a dozen negotiations had taken placethan at first. So matters stood in _statu quo_, the days rolled by, andour two squatters found their condition waxing desperate. 

One fine morning, squatter the first started off to make a lastattempt--determined to close the bargain peaceably if he could, forciblyif he must. Revolving project upon project in his mind, he hadtraversed the two or three miles of woodland which lay between him andhis neighbour's clearing, and was just entering it, when a sudden rustleand significant growl coming from behind broke in upon his reverie. Turning hastily, he saw almost at his heels a bear of the mostunprepossessing aspect. To reach the cabin before Bruin could overtakehim was impossible; and to turn upon the creature would be folly: for, in the depth of his deliberation, he had forgotten on leaving home totake any kind of weapon with him. Some dead trees had been leftstanding in the field, and to one of these he sped with flying steps, hoping to find shelter behind it till help could come. He did not hopein vain for this protection. He found that by pretty active dodging, hecould keep the trunk of the tree between himself and the bear--whosebrain could hardly follow the numerous shifts made by the squatter toescape the frequent clutches of his claws. Rising indignantly upon hishind legs, the bear made a fierce rush at the squatter, but hugged onlythe tough old tree, in whose bark he buried deep his pointed claws. Aninspiration flashed through the squatter's mind, as he saw the bearslowly and with some difficulty dragging out his nails; and seizingBruin's shanks just above the paws, he braced himself against the tree, resolved to try and hold the claws into their woody sockets until hisneighbour could respond to his halloos for help. 

The other squatter heard his cries; but instead of hastening to therescue, he came slowly along, carelessly shouldering his axe. Perceiving his neighbour's difficulty, a new solution of the ox questionhad entered his mind; and to the redoubled appeals for assistance, hecalmly replied--

"On one condition, neighbour!"

"What is it?" anxiously inquired the other. 

"If I let you loose from the bar, you'll gi' me up your odd steer. "

There was no help for it, and with a heavy sigh, the prisoner consented. "Stop!" cried he, ere the axe could fall; "this old brute has halfplagued the life out o' me, and I'd like nothing better'n thesatisfaction o' killin' him myself. Jest you ketch hold here, and letme give him his death-blow. "

The second squatter, rejoicing beyond measure at having accomplished hislong-desired purpose, unsuspiciously agreed, dropped the axe, cautiouslygrasped the sinewy shanks, and bent his strength to the momentarystruggle. To his utter dismay, he beheld his neighbour quietly shoulderthe axe, and walk away from the ground!

"Hold on!" he shouted; "ain't ye goin' to kill the bar?"

"Wal, not jest now, I fancy; I thought you might like to hang on awhile?"

The tables thus turned, the deluded squatter had no resource but to maketerms with his grimly gleeful neighbour, who at last consented to put anend to the wild beast's life, if he might not only be released from thebargain he had just made, but, in addition, be himself the recipient ofthe odd ox. Sorely chagrined, the second squatter consented. But hewas a little comforted at the idea of a slight _revanche_ that had justentered his head. Watching his chance, as the other approached to dealthe fatal blow, with a desperate effort he tore out the bear's clawsfrom the bark--setting the infuriated animal free--and then fled at fullspeed to his cabin, leaving the two original combatants to fight it outbetween themselves. 

The particulars of the contest even tradition has not preserved--thesequel to the narrative only telling that half an hour later the firstsquatter, scratched and bloody, hobbled slowly up to the cabin, remarking satirically as he threw down the broken axe:--

"Thar, neighbour; I'm afraid I've spiled yer axe, but I'm sure I'vespiled the bar. Prehaps you'd let one o' your leetle boys drive thatere ox over to my house?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------

After enjoying the hospitality of their planter friend for a few dayslonger, our travellers once more resumed their journey; and proceeded upthe great Mississippi, towards the cold countries of the North. 

CHAPTER FORTY THREE. 

THE POLAR BEAR. 

A few weeks after leaving the Louisiana planter, our hunters werereceiving hospitality from a very different kind of host, a"fur-trader. " Their headquarters was Fort Churchill, on the westernshore of Hudson's Bay, and once the chief entrepot of the famous companywho have so long directed the destinies of that extensive region--sometimes styled Prince Rupert's Land, but more generally known as the"Hudson's Bay Territory. "

To Fort Churchill they had travelled almost due north--first up theMississippi, then across land to Lake Superior, and direct over the laketo one of the Company's posts on its northern shore. Thence by a chainof lakes, rivers, and "portages" to York factory, and on northward toFort Churchill. Of course, at Fort Churchill they had arrived withinthe range of the great white or Polar bear (_ursus maritimus_), who wasto be the _next_ object of their "chasse. " In the neighbourhood of Yorkfactory, and even further to the south, they might have found bears ofthis species: for the _ursus maritimus_ extends his wanderings all roundthe shores of Hudson's Bay--though not to those of James' Bay furthersouth. The latitude of 55 degrees is his southern limit upon thecontinent of America; but this only refers to the shores of Labrador andthose of Hudson's Bay. On the western coast Behring's Straits appearsto form his boundary southward; and even within these, for some distancealong both the Asiatic and American shores, he is one of the rarest ofwanderers. His favourite range is among the vast conglomeration ofislands and peninsulas that extend around Hudson's and Baffin's Bays--including the icebound coasts of Greenland and Labrador--while goingwestward to Behring's Straits, although the great quadruped isoccasionally met with, he is much more rare. Somewhat in a similarmanner, are the white bears distributed in the eastern hemisphere. While found in great plenty in the Frozen Ocean, in its central andeastern parts, towards the west, on the northern coasts of Russia andLapland, they are never seen--except when by chance they have strayedthither, or been drifted upon masses of floating ice. 

It is unnecessary to remark that this species of bear lives almostexclusively near the sea, and _by_ the sea. He may be almost said todwell upon it: since out of the twelve months in the year, ten of themat least are passed by him upon the fields of ice. During the shortsummer of the Arctic regions, he makes a trip inland--rarely extendingit above fifty miles, and never over a hundred--guided in his excursionsby the courses of rivers that fall into the sea. His purpose in makingthese inland expeditions, is to pick up the freshwater fish; which hefinds it convenient to catch in the numerous falls or shallows of thestreams. He also varies his fish diet at this season, by making anoccasional meal on such roots and berries as he may find growing alongthe banks. At other times of the year, when all inland water is frozenup, and even the sea to a great distance from land, he then keeps alongthe extreme edge of the frozen surface, and finds his food in the openwater of the sea. Sea-fish of different species, seals, the youngwalrus, and even at times the young of the great whale itself, becomehis prevail of which he hunts and captures with a skill and cunning, that appears more the result of a reasoning process than a mereinstinct. 

His natatory powers appear to have no limit: at all events, he has beenmet with swimming about in open water full twenty miles from either iceor land. He has been often seen much further from shore, drifting uponmasses of ice; but it is doubtful whether he cared much for the footingthus afforded him. It is quite possible he can swim as long as itpleases him, or until his strength may become exhausted by hunger. While going through the water, it does not appear necessary for him tomake the slightest effort; and he can even spring up above the surface, and bound forward after the manner of porpoises or other _cetaceae_. 

If any quadruped has ever reached the pole, it is the polar bear; and itis quite probable that his range extends to this remarkable point on theearth's surface. Most certainly it may, if we suppose that there isopen water around the pole--a supposition that, by analogical reasoning, may be proved to be correct. The daring Parry found white bears at 82degrees; and there is no reason why they should not traverse theintervening zone of 500 odd miles, almost as easily as the fowls of theair or the fish of the sea. No doubt there are polar bears around thepole; though it may be assumed for certain that none of them everattempts to "swarm" up it, as the white bear is not the best climber ofhis kind. The female of the polar bear is not so much addicted to amaritime life as her liege lord. The former, unless when barren, keepsupon the land; and it is upon the land that she brings forth her young. When pregnant, she wanders off to some distance from the shore; andchoosing her bed, she lies down, goes to sleep, and there remains untilspring. She does not, like other hybernating bears, seek out a cave orhollow tree; for in the desolate land she inhabits, ofttimes neither onenor the other could be found. She merely waits for the setting-in of agreat snow-storm--which her instinct warns her of--and then, stretchingherself under the lee of a rock--or other inequality, where the snowwill be likely to form a deep drift--she remains motionless till it has"smoored" her quite up, often covering her body to the depth of severalfeet. There she remains throughout the winter, completely motionless, and apparently in a state of torpor. The heat of her body thawing thesnow that comes immediately in contact with it, together with somewarmth from her limited breathing, in time enlarges the space aroundher, so that she reclines inside a sort of icy shell. It is fortunatethat circumstances provide her with this extra room: since in due courseof time she will stand in need of it for the company she expects. 

And in process of time it is called into use. When the spring sunbegins to melt the snow outside, the bear becomes a mother, and a braceof little white cubs make their appearance, each about as big as arabbit. 

The mother does not immediately lead them forth from their snowychamber; but continues to suckle them there until they are of the sizeof Arctic foxes, and ready to take the road. Then she makes an effort, breaks through the icy crust that forms the dome of her dwelling, andcommences her journey towards the sea. 

There are times when the snow around her has become so firmly caked, that, with her strength exhausted by the suckling of her cubs, the bearis unable to break through it. In a case of this kind, she is compelledto remain in an involuntary durance--until the sun gradually melts theice around her and sets her free. Then she issues from her prolongedimprisonment, only the shadow of her former self, and scarce able tokeep her feet. 

The Northern Indians and Eskimos capture hundreds of these hybernatingbears every season--taking both them and their cubs at the same time. They find the retreat in various ways: sometimes by their dogs scrapingto get into it, and sometimes by observing the white hoar that hangsover a little hole which the warmth of the bear's breath has kept openin the snow. 

The hunters, having ascertained the exact position of the animal's body, either dig from above, and spear the old she in her bed; or they make atunnel in a horizontal direction, and, getting a noose around the heador one of the paws of the bear, drag her forth in that way. 

To give an account of the many interesting habits peculiar to the polarbear--with others which this species shares in common with the Bruinfamily--would require a volume to itself. These habits are welldescribed by many writers of veracity, --such as Lyon, Hearne, Richardson, and a long array of other Arctic explorers. It is thereforeunnecessary to dwell on them here--where we have only space to narratean adventure which occurred to our young bear-hunters, while procuringthe skin of this interesting quadruped. 

CHAPTER FORTY FOUR. 

THE OLD SHE SURROUNDED. 

They had been for some days on the lookout for a white bear; and hadmade several excursions from the Port--going as far as the mouth of theSeal river, which runs into Hudson's Bay a little farther to the north. On all these excursions they had been unsuccessful; for, although theyhad several times come upon the track of the bears, and had even seenthem at a distance, they were unable in a single instance to get withinshot. The difficulty arose from the level nature of the ground, and itsbeing quite destitute of trees or other cover, under which they mightapproach the animals. The country around Fort Churchill is of thischaracter--and indeed along the whole western shore of Hudson's Bay, where the soil is a low alluviom, without either rocks or hills. Thisformation runs landward for about a hundred miles--constituting a stripof marshy soil, which separates the sea from a parallel limestoneformation further inward. Then succeed the primitive rocks, which covera large interior tract of country, known as the "Barren Grounds. "

It is only on the low belt adjoining the coast that the polar bear isfound; but the females range quite across to the skirts of the woodswhich cover the limestone formation. Our hunters therefore knew thateither upon the shore itself, or upon the low alluvial tract adjoiningit, they would have to search for their game; and to this district theyconfined their search. 

On the fifth day they made a more extended excursion towards theinterior. It was now the season of midsummer, when the old males rangeup the banks of the streams: partly with the design of catching a fewfreshwater fish, partly to nibble at the sweet berries, but above all tomeet the females, who just then, with their half-grown cubs, come coylyseaward to meet their old friends of the previous year, and introducetheir offspring to their fathers, who up to this hour have not set eyeson them. 

On the present excursion our hunters were more fortunate than before:since they not only witnessed a reunion of this sort, but succeeded inmaking a capture of the whole family, --father, mother, and cubs. 

They had on this occasion gone up the Churchill river, and wereascending a branch stream that runs into the latter, some miles abovethe fort. Their mode of travelling was in a birch-bark canoe: forhorses are almost unknown in the territory of the Hudson's Bay Company, excepting in those parts of it that consist of prairie. Throughout mostof this region the only means of travelling is by canoes and boats, which are managed by men who follow it as a calling, and who are styled"voyageurs. " They are nearly all of Canadian origin--many of themhalf-breeds, and extremely skilful in the navigation of the lakes andrivers of this untrodden wilderness. Of course most of them are in theemploy of the Hudson's Bay Company; and when not actually engaged in"voyaging" do a little hunting and trapping on their own account. 

Two of these voyageurs--kindly furnished by the chief factor at thefort--propelled the canoe which carried our young hunters; so that withPouchskin there were five men in the little craft. This was nothing, however, as birch-bark canoes are used in the Territory of a much largerkind--some that will even carry tons of merchandise and a great manymen. Along the bank of the stream into which they had now entered grewa selvage of willows--here and there forming leafy thickets that wereimpenetrable to the eye; but in other places standing so thinly, thatthe plains beyond them could be seen out of the canoe. 

It was a likely enough place for white bears to be found in--especiallyat this season, when, as already stated, the old males go inland to meetthe females, as well as to indulge in a little vegetable diet, afterhaving confined themselves all the rest of the year to fish andseal-flesh. The voyageurs said that there were many bulbous rootsgrowing in those low meadows of which the bears are very fond; and also_larvae_ of certain insects, found in heaps, like anthills--which byBruin are esteemed a delicacy of the rarest kind. 

For this reason our hunters were regarding the land on both sides of thestream, occasionally standing up in the canoe to reconnoitre over thetops of the willows, or peering through them where they grew thinly. While passing opposite one of the breaks in the willow-grove, aspectacle came before their eyes that caused them to order the canoe tobe stopped, and the voyageurs to rest on their oars. 

Alexis, who had been upon the lookout, at first did not know what tomake of the spectacle: so odd was the grouping of the figures thatcomposed it. He could see a large number of animals of _quadrupedal_form, but of different colours. Some were nearly white, others brown orreddish-brown, and several were quite black. All appeared to have longshaggy hair, cocked ears, and large bushy tails. They were not standingat rest, but moving about--now running rapidly from point to point, nowleaping up in the air, while some were rushing round in circles! In allthere appeared to be thirty or forty of them; and they covered a spaceof ground about as large as a drawing-room floor. 

There was a slight haze or mist hanging over the meadow, which hinderedAlexis from having a clear view of these animals; and, through themagnifying influence of this sort of atmosphere, they appeared as largeas young oxen. Their form, however, was very different from these; andfrom their pointed ears, long muzzles, and full bunching tails, Alexiscould think of nothing else to compare them to but wolves. Their variedcolours signified nothing: since in these northern lands there arewolves of many varieties from white to black; and wolves they reallywere--only magnified by the mist into gigantic proportions. 

Alexis had not viewed them long before perceiving that they were not_all_ wolves. In their midst was an animal of a very different kind--much larger than any of them; but what sort of a creature it was theyoung hunter could not make out. 

Ivan, who had risen to his feet, was equally puzzled to tell. 

It appeared as large as half a dozen of the wolves rolled up into one, and was whiter than the whitest of them; but it looked as if it had ahunch upon its back; and altogether more like a shapeless mass of whitebristly hair than a regularly-formed quadruped. It must be an animal, however, as its motions testified; for it was seen to be turning roundand round, and at intervals darting forward a pace or two, as if workingits way in the direction of the river. 

Whatever the animal was, it soon became clear that it was battling withthe wolves that surrounded it; and this accounted for the singularmovements that these last were making, as well as for their fiercebarking and growling that, in confused chorus, filled the air. Atintervals, and still louder, could be heard a different sort of cry--shrill and plaintive, like the hinny of a mule--and evidently proceedingnot from the wolves, but from the huge white animal which they wereassailing. 

The voyageurs at once recognised the cry. 

"A bear!--a sea bear!" exclaimed both together. 

One of them stood up, and looked over the plain. 

"Yes, " said he, confirming his first assertion. "An old she it is, surrounded by wolves. Ha! it's her cubs they're after! _Voila, messieurs_! She's got one of them on her back. _Enfant de garce_, howthe old beldam keeps them at bay! She's fighting her way to the water!"

Guided by the words of the voyageur, our hunters now perceived clearlyenough that the white object appearing over the backs of the wolves wasneither more nor less than a large bear; and that which they had takenfor a hunch upon its shoulders was another bear--a young one, stretchedout at full length along the back of its mother, and clinging there, with its forearms clasped around her neck. 

It was evident, also, as the voyageur had said, that the old she wasendeavouring to work her way towards the river--in hopes, no doubt, ofretreating to the water, where she knew the wolves would not dare tofollow her. This was evidently her design: for, while they stoodwatching, she advanced several yards of ground in the direction of thestream. 

Notwithstanding the fierce eagerness with which the wolves kept up theattack, they were observing considerable caution in the conflict. Theyhad good reason: since before their eyes was an example of what theymight expect, if they came to _very_ close quarters. Upon the groundover which the fight had been raging, three or four of their number wereseen lying apparently dead--while others were limping around, or sneakedoff with whining cries, licking the wounds they had received from thelong claws of their powerful adversary. 

It was rather an odd circumstance for the wolves to have thus attacked apolar bear--an antagonist of which they stand in the utmost dread. Thething, however, was explained by one of the voyageurs; who said that thebear in question was a weak one--half-famished, perhaps, and feeble fromhaving suckled her young; and it was the cubs, and not the old bearherself, that the wolves were after--thinking to separate these fromtheir mother, and so destroy and devour them. Perhaps one of them hadbeen eaten up already: since only one could be seen; and there arealways two cubs in a litter. 

Our young hunters did not think of staying longer to watch the strangeencounter. Their sole idea was to get possession of the bear and hercub; and with this intent they ordered the voyageurs to paddle close upto the shore and land them. As soon as the canoe touched the bank, bothleaped out; and, followed by Pouchskin, proceeded towards the scene ofthe conflict, --the voyageurs remaining in the canoe. 

CHAPTER FORTY FIVE. 

A WHOLE FAMILY CAPTURED. 

The party had not gone more than a dozen steps from the water's edge, when a new object coming under their eyes caused them to halt. This wasanother quadruped that at that moment was seen dashing out from thewillows, and rushing onward towards the scene of the strife. There wasno mistaking the character of the creature. Our hunters saw at a glancethat it was a large white bear--much larger than the one surrounded bythe wolves. It was, in fact, the male; who, wandering in the thicket ofwillows--or, more likely, lying there asleep--had not till that momentbeen aware of what was going on, or that his wife and children were insuch deadly danger. Perhaps it was the noise that had awaked him; andhe was just in the act of hastening forward to the rescue. 

With a shuffling gallop he glided over the plain--as fast as a horsecould have gone; and in a few seconds he was close up to the scene ofthe conflict--to which his presence put an end right on the instant. The wolves, seeing him rush open-mouthed towards them, one and allbolted off; and ran at full speed over the plain, their long tailsstreaming out behind them. Those that were wounded, however, could notget clear so easily; and the enraged bear, charging upon these, rushedfrom one to the other, knocking the breath out of each as he came up toit, with a single "pat" of his heavy paws. 

In less than ten seconds the ground was quite cleared of the ravenouswolves. Only the dead ones remained on it; while the others, having gotoff to a safe distance, halted in straggling groups; and, with theirtails drooping upon the grass, stood gazing back with looks ofmelancholy disappointment. 

Bruin, meanwhile, having settled his affair with the wounded wolves, ranup to his mate; and, throwing his paws around her neck, appeared tocongratulate her upon her escape! And now did our hunters perceive thatthere were two cubs instead of one--that which still clung fast upon themother's back, and another which was seen under her belly, and which shehad been equally protecting against the crowd of assailants thatsurrounded her. 

Both the little fellows--about as large as foxes they were--nowperceived that they were out of a danger--which, no doubt, they hadperfectly comprehended. That upon the shoulders of the dam leaped downto the earth; while the other crawled out "from under;" and both comingtogether began tumbling about over the grass, and rolling over oneanother in play, the parents watching with interest their uncouthgambols. 

Notwithstanding the well-known ferocity of these animals, there wassomething so tender in the spectacle, that our hunters hesitated aboutadvancing. Alexis, in particular, whose disposition was a shade moregentle than that of his companions, felt certain qualms of compassion, as he looked upon this exhibition of feelings and affections thatappeared almost human. Ivan was even touched; and certainly neither henor his brother would have slain these creatures out of mere wantonsport. They would not have thought of such a thing under ordinarycircumstances; and it was only from the necessity they were under ofprocuring the skin that they thought of it at all. Perhaps they wouldeven have passed this group; and taken their chances of finding another, that might make a less powerful appeal to their compassion; but in thisthey were overruled by Pouchskin. The old grenadier was afflicted by nosuch tender sentiments; and throwing aside all scruple, before his youngmasters could interfere to prevent him, he advanced a few paces forward, and discharged his fusil, broadside at the biggest of the bears. 

Whether he hit the bear or not, was not then known. Certain it was thathe in no way crippled the animal; for, as soon as the smoke had clearedout of his eyes, he saw the huge quadruped part from the side of hismate, and come charging down upon him. 

Pouchskin hesitated for a moment whether to withstand the attack, andhad drawn his knife to be ready; but the formidable appearance of theantagonist, his immense size, and fierce aspect, admonished Pouchskinthat in this case discretion might be the better part of valour, and heyielded to the suggestion. Indeed, the two voyageurs in the canoe werealready shouting to all three to run for it--warning them of the dangerthey were in by the most earnest speech and gesture. 

Ivan and Alexis stood their ground till Pouchskin had returned to wherethey were, and then both fired upon the bear. They may have hit him ornot; but the huge monster showed no sign, and only appeared to chargeforward the faster. 

All three together now ran for the boat. It was their only refuge; forhad it been a trial of speed, and much ground to go over, the bear wouldcertainly have overtaken them; and a few wipes from his paw would haveended the life of one or the other--perhaps of the whole trio. 

It was fortunate they had the boat to flee to: else Pouchskin'simprudence, in provoking the bear, might have led to a fataltermination. 

Quick as their legs could carry them they made for the canoe; and oneafter the other leaped into it. Without even waiting for them to seatthemselves, the two voyageurs pushed off from the bank, suddenlyshooting the craft out into the middle of the stream. 

But this did not stay the pursuit of the infuriated bear, nor even delayhim for a moment. 

On reaching the bank, he did not make halt; but, launching out, sprangdown with a plunge upon the water. Then, stretching his body at fulllength, he swam direct after the canoe. 

The craft had been turned head down the stream; and, what with the helpof the current and the impulse of the oars, it swept onward witharrow-like rapidity. But for all that it soon became apparent that thebear was gaining upon it--his broad paws enabling him to swim with thevelocity of a fish--while every now and then he rose above the surface, and bounded forward to a distance of several feet through the air!

The voyageurs plied their paddles with all their skill and energy; therewas the dread of death to stimulate them to the utmost exertion of theirstrength. They knew well, that, if the bear should succeed in coming upwith the canoe, he would either mount into it, and drive all of theminto the water; or, what was more probable, he would upset the craft, and spill the whole party out of it. In either case, there would be thedanger of coming in contact with his claws; and that, they knew, was thedanger of death itself. 

The hunters were all three busy reloading their guns; and getting readyto fire before the enemy should be up to them. 

They were not in time, however. With the motion of the boat, and theconstrained attitudes in which it placed them, the loading was a slowprocess; and, before any of the three had a bullet down, the bear wasclose astern. Only Ivan had a barrel loaded; and this, unfortunately, was with small shot, which he had been keeping for waterfowl. He firedit, nevertheless, right into the teeth of the pursuer; but, instead ofstopping him, it only increased his rage, and roused him to make stillgreater efforts to overtake the canoe. 

Pouchskin, in despair, threw down his gun, and seized upon an axe, thatby good luck had been brought in the boat. With this firmly grasped inhis hands, and kneeling in the stern, he waited the approach of theinfuriated swimmer. 

The bear had got close up to the boat--in fact was within the length ofhis own body of touching it. Believing himself now near enough, he madeone of his prodigious bounds, and launched himself forward. His sharpclaws rattled against the birch-bark, tearing a large flake from thecraft. Had this not given way, his hold would have been complete; andthe boat would, in all likelihood, have been dragged, stern foremost, under water. But the failure of his clutch brought the head of themonster once more on a level with the surface; and before he could raiseit to make a second spring, the great wedge of steel descended upon hiscrown, and went crashing through his skull. 

Almost in the same instant, he was seen to turn over in the water; hislimbs moved only with a spasmodic action; he gave a feeble kick or twowith his long hind legs; and then his carcass floated along the surface, like a mass of white foam. 

It was soon secured, and drawn out upon the bank--for the purpose ofbeing stripped of its snow-white robe. 

Our young hunters would have been contented to have left the othersalone--neither the female nor her cubs being required by them. But thevoyageurs--who were desirous of obtaining the skins of all three ontheir own account--proposed returning to effect their destruction; andin this proposal they were backed by Pouchskin, who had a naturalantipathy to all bears. 

It ended in the killing of the dam, and the capturing of her cubs alive;for, encumbered as the old she was with her offspring, she was soonovertaken, and fell an easy victim to the volley of bullets that werepoured into her from all sides at once. 

With the skins of the old bears, and the cubs tied in the bottom of thecanoe, our hunters started back down stream; but they had scarce partedfrom the place, before the ravenous wolves returned--not only to devourthe carcases of the bears, but also those of their own comrades that hadfallen in the encounter!

CHAPTER FORTY SIX. 

THE BARREN GROUNDS. 

The "Barren Ground bear" was next to be sought for; but to reach thehaunts of this animal, a long and toilsome journey must be made. Thattract of the Hudson's Bay territory known as the "Barren Grounds, "extends from the shores of the Arctic Sea as far south as the latitudeof the Churchill river; bounded eastward by Hudson's Bay itself, andwestward by a chain of lakes, of which the Great Slave and Athapescoware the principal. 

This immense territory is almost unexplored to the present hour. Eventhe Hudson's Bay trappers have a very imperfect knowledge of it. It hasbeen crossed in one or two places, and skirted by exploring parties, butit is still almost a _terra ignota_, except to the four or five tribesof Indians who dwell around its borders, and the Esquimaux, who venturea little way into it along the coast of the Arctic Sea. 

Before proceeding to hunt the Barren Ground bear, let us say a wordabout his species. By writers, both old and modern, he has beenvariously classed. Even the ablest naturalist who has written about himis puzzled as to his species. We speak of Sir John Richardson, thecompanion of the lamented Franklin, and himself one of the great men ofthe earth. Sir John first regarded this bear, though very doubtfully, as a variety of the _ursus americanus_, or American black bear. Laterobservations influenced him to change this opinion; and again withmodest doubtfulness--characteristic of the man--he suggests his being avariety of the _ursus arctos_. 

We shall make bold to affirm that he is a variety of neither; but adistinct species of bear. 

We shall give our reasons--and first, as to his distinctness from the_ursus americanus_. He is not like the latter, either in colour, shapeof body, bulk, profile, physiognomy, length of feet or tail. In allthese respects he bears a greater resemblance to the _ursus arctos_, oreven to his nearer neighbour, the grizzly (_ursus ferox_). He differsfrom both these, however, in other points--as will presently be seen. Again, he is of a fiercer disposition than the black bear, and moredangerous to the hunter--almost as much so as the grizzly, and quite asmuch as the brown. Moreover, he dwells in a country in which the blackbear could not make his home. To the existence of the latter, theforest is essential; and he is never found far out of it. It is not thehigher latitude that keeps him out of the Barren Grounds, but theabsence of timber. This is proved by the fact of his being found quitsas far northward as any part of the Barren Grounds, but where thelimestone formation favours the growth of trees; whereas, among theprimitive rocks to the north of Nelson river, the black bear does notexist--the very region that appears most favourable to the existence ofthe Barren Ground species--who cares not for trees, and cannot climbthem. 

Still another material difference may be pointed out. The black bear, in his normal state, is altogether frugivorous--a true vegetable feeder. The other is carnivorous and piscivorous--at one season killing andeating marmots and mice, at another frequenting the sea coast andsubsisting upon fish. In a word, the two bears are as unlike as maybe--they are distinct species. 

To compare the Barren Ground bear with the _ursus arctos_. The formeris certainly much more like this species, than he is to the _ursusamericanus_; but again we _encounter_ notable points of difference; andwere it not for a certain resemblance in colour, it is possible the twokinds would never have been brought into comparison. It is easy, however, to prove them also distinct species--by simply observing thattheir habits are altogether unlike. The _ursus arctos_ is a_tree-climbing wood bear_: the Barren Ground species is not. The formerprefers a vegetable diet--the latter likes better fish, flesh, andinsects--though he will also fill his stomach with a farrago ofvegetable matters. 

But to say nothing of the very different habits of the two animals, there is a yellowish tinge over the fur of the American species, that isnot observed in the brown bears of European countries--except, perhaps, in those of the Pyrenees--and at certain seasons this tinge turns sopale, as to give a whitish appearance to the animal: hence, by theIndians, they are often termed "white bears. "

It is, besides, altogether improbable, that the brown bear of Europeshould turn up in the "Barren Grounds" of the Hudson's Bay territory--anisolated, treeless tract--quite unlike his habitat in the Old World; andto which no line of migration could be traced with much probability. Wemight suppose such a migration through Siberia and Russian America; andcertainly there is some probability in this view: for although it hasbeen hitherto stated that the Barren Ground bear is only found withinthe limits of the peculiar district so called, it is very certain thathis range extends beyond these boundaries. The brown bear of RussianAmerica and the Aleutian Islands appears to be identical with thisspecies; and there is a suspicion, that the brown species of Kamschatkais no other than the Barren Ground bear of the Hudson's Bay. Thefishing habits of the former go some ways towards an identification ofthe two species--at the same time separating both from the _ursusarctos_ of Scandinavia. 

It needs hardly to be argued, that the Barren Ground bear is quite adistinct animal from the grizzly though writers have often confoundedthem. They are different in size and colour. Though the grizzly issometimes brown, it is always with a mixture of white tipped hairs; butthe most essential distinction is to be found in the greater ferocity ofthe latter, and his far longer and more curving claws. Many otherpoints might be mentioned--showing them to be animals of two separatespecies--besides, their range is altogether distinct. 

The Barren Ground bear, then, is not the _ursus arctos, americanus_, or_ferox_. What then? Has he received no specific name from thenaturalists? Not yet. Alexis, however, bestowed one upon him. Henamed him after the man who has given the clearest account of hiscountry and his habits; and whom Alexis deemed most worthy of thehonour. In his journal we find the record. There it is written, thatthe Barren Ground bear is the _ursus Richardsonii_. 

CHAPTER FORTY SEVEN. 

BRUIN TAKING A BATH. 

To seek the haunts of this new species of bear, I have said that ourhunters would have a long journey to make--even so far as the GreatSlave Lake--for although the Barren Grounds extend many degrees to thesouth of this water, the _ursus Richardsonii_; rarely wanders to a lowerlatitude. Upon the shores of the Slave Lake, however, they would becertain to encounter him; and thither they repaired. 

They were fortunate in the time of the year. The annual "brigade" ofboats belonging to the Great Fur Company was just setting out from YorkFactory, for Norway House on Lake Winnipeg; and thence a division of itwould proceed to the posts still further northward--on Lake Athapescowand the waters of the Mackenzie River--passing through the Slave Lakeitself. Their object, of course, in their annual journey is todistribute at the fur stations, the goods, brought from England by theCompany's ships, and in return bring back the peltries collectedthroughout the winter. 

With the brigade, then, went our hunters; and after enduring, in commonwith the others, the hardships and perils incidental to such a longinland voyage, they at length found themselves at the point of theirdestination--Fort Resolution, on the Great Slave Lake, near the mouth ofthe river bearing the same appellation. The canoe of an Indianfisherman--of which there are many dwelling around the shores of thisgreat inland sea--was soon pressed into service; and with the fisherman(who of course was a hunter also) for their guide and companion, theycould make convenient excursions along the shores of the lake, landwhenever they pleased, and search for Bruin in the localities where hewas most likely to be encountered. In this they were assisted by theirhired guide; who was not long in putting them upon the trail of a bear. In fact, in the very first excursion which they made, one of the truebreed was discovered and captured. 

The circumstances attending his capture were of no very particularinterest; but as they illustrate one of the habits of this species, weshall give them as recorded in the journal of Alexis. 

They were paddling gently along the shore--through water that was ascalm as a pond--when, at a great distance ahead of them, the Indianobserved a slight rippling upon the surface, and pointed it out. It wasnot caused by the wind; for there was not a breath stirring at the time;and it was not like the whitish curl which a breeze casts upon thesurface of water. It resembled more a series of little wavelets, suchas proceed from a stone plunged into a deep pool, or from a disturbanceof the water caused by the movements of some animal. The Indian saidthat it was a bear: though there was no bear, nor any living thing insight!

As the canoe moved nearer, our hunters perceived that there was anindentation on the shore--a little creek or bay out of which the rippleswere proceeding. The guide knew that there was such a bay; and believedthat the bear would be found somewhere within it, swimming about in thewater. 

The hunters did not stay to inquire the reason why Bruin should be thusbathing himself? There was no time: for just at that instant the Indianbeached his canoe; and desired them all to disembark and follow suchfurther instructions as he might give them. Without hesitation theyaccepted his invitation; resolved to act according to his counsel. 

The Indian, after making his boat fast, took the route inland, followedby the other three. After going some three or four hundred yards, heturned to the left, and conducted the party around the shore of thebay--which trended in a semicircular or horse-shoe shape. He did nottake all of them around; but only one, whom he stationed on the oppositeside. This was Pouchskin. Ivan he had already placed on the nearerside, and Alexis at the bottom--so that they were thus set at the threeangles of a triangle, nearly equilateral. 

On assigning to each of them his station, the Indian further instructedthem to creep forward among the bushes--which still separated them fromthe water--and to do so without making any noise, till they should heara "whoop" from himself. This would be the signal for them to showthemselves around the edge of the bay--in the water of which the Indianhunter was confident a bear was bathing himself. He himself returned tohis canoe. 

Agreeably to his instructions, the three hunters crawled forward--eachon his own line of approach, and all observing the greatest caution andsilence. As soon as their eyes rested upon the water, they perceivedthe correctness of the Indian's conjecture. A bear there was, sureenough!

They saw only his head; but this was sufficient for Bruin'sidentification: since no similar cranium could have been encountered insuch a place. 

As the Indian had apprised them, the bear was swimming about in the bay;but for what purpose it was at first difficult to make out. To theirastonishment, he swam with his mouth wide open--so that they could seethe interior of his great encarmined palate, while his long tongueflapped out at intervals, and appeared to sweep the surface of thewater. At intervals, too, he was seen to close his mouth--the huge jawscoming together with a "clap-clap, " the noise of which could be heardechoing far over the lake!

He did not go long in one course; but ever and anon kept turninghimself, and quartering the bay in every direction. 

It was a long time before the spectators could find any explanation ofthese odd manoeuvres on the part of the bear. They might have fanciedhe was merely taking a cool bath to refresh himself: for the day wasexceedingly hot, and the air was filled with mosquitoes--as our huntershad already learnt to their great discomfort. It might have been to getrid of these tormentors that Bruin had submerged his body in the water;and so Pouchskin concluded, and also Ivan--though both were puzzled bythe odd behaviour of the bear, in swimming open-mouthed, and atintervals snapping his jaws as he did. Alexis, however, was a betterreasoner; and soon discovered the why and the wherefore of thesemysterious demonstrations. Alexis saw that the surface of the water wasthickly coated with something; and, on scrutinising it more closely, hemade out this something to be a swarm of insects. There appeared to bemore than one species of them--two indeed there were--both about thesize of ordinary gadflies; but altogether different from each other incolour and habits. One was a sort of water-beetle that swam near thesurface; while the other was a winged insect that occasionally rose intothe air, but more generally crawled along the water--making short runsfrom place to place, then stopping a moment, and then darting on again. The whole surface of the bay--and even out for some distance into thelake--fairly swarmed with these creatures; and it was in pursuit of themthat Bruin was whisking his tongue so rapidly about, and bringing hisjaws together in such sonorous concussion. The animal was simplyindulging in a favourite meal--which in summer is furnished him not onlyon the shores of the Great Slave Lake, but most of the smaller lakesthroughout the Barren Grounds. 

Alexis had scarce finished making the observation, when a loud "whoop"was heard from the direction of the lake; and almost at the same instantthe canoe of the Indian was seen shooting through the water, right forthe entrance of the bay!

Obedient to the signal, the three hunters rushed out from their cover, and ran forward upon the beech--each holding his gun in readiness tofire. The bear, seeing himself thus suddenly and unexpectedlysurrounded, at once gave over his fly-trapping; but, irresolute in whichdirection to retreat, he turned round and round in the water, firstswimming a bit one way and then another. At length, rearing himselfhigh above the surface, and showing his sharp teeth, he uttered a deepgrowl of rage, and dashed recklessly towards the shore. 

It was to Ivan's side he first directed himself; but Ivan was upon thewatch; and, advancing close to the edge of the water, he took aim andfired. 

His bullet struck the bear right upon the snout, and it appeared to havespun him round--so quickly was he seen heading in the oppositedirection. 

It was now Pouchskin's turn; and in a second after the loud report ofthe grenadier's gun went booming over the lake, while the ball splashedthe water right into the eyes of the bear. Though it did not hit anypart of his body, it had the effect of half-turning him--so that he nowswam towards Alexis, stationed at the bottom of the bay. 

Alexis took the matter more coolly. There was a convenient treebehind--to which he intended to retreat in case of missing--and thisinfluenced him to hold his ground, till the bear should come near enoughto ensure a certain aim. 

The bear swam straight on, until within some ten yards of where Alexiswas standing; when all at once he appeared to take the rue, and wasturning off to one side. This was just what Alexis desired: it broughtthe head of the animal broadside towards him, and, taking steady aim, heplanted his bullet a little under the left ear. 

It was a dead shot. The huge creature, loaded with fat, sank instantlyto the bottom; but fortunately the water was shallow; and the Indian nowcoming in with his canoe, soon fished up the carcass, and towed it outupon the beach--where its fur coat was stripped off in a trice. 

CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT. 

THE GREAT GRIZZLY. 

The grizzly bear (_ursus ferox_), the fiercest and most formidable ofthe ursine family, was the next to be captured and skinned. 

The range of the grizzly, though wider than that of the Barren Groundbear, is still not so extensive as that of the _ursus americanus_. Thegreat chain or cordillera of the Rocky Mountains may be taken as the_axis_ of his range--since he is found throughout its whole extent, fromMexico to its declension near the shores of the Arctic Sea. Somewriters have asserted that he is confined to these mountains, but thatis an error. To the west of them he is encountered throughout all thecountries lying between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific coast--wherever circumstances are favourable to his existence; and to the easthe extends his wanderings for a considerable distance into the greatplains--though nowhere so far as to the wooded countries near themeridian of the Mississippi. In these the black bear is the onlyforest-ranger of the family. 

Woods are not the favourite haunt of the grizzly bear; and although inyouth he can make a sort of scramble up a tree, when full-grown hisenormous claws--always blunted at the tips--hinder him from climbing. Low bushy thickets, with open glades intervening--and especially wherethe underwood consists of berry-bearing bushes--are his chosen retreats. He often sallies out into the open ground; and on those prairies wheregrows the _pomme blanche_, or "Indian turnip" (_psoralea esculenta_), hemay be seen tearing up the earth with his claws, and leaving it turnedinto furrows--as if a drove of hogs had been "rooting" the ground. Onthe bottoms of the streams he also digs up the "kamas" root (_camassiaesculenta_), the "yampah, " (_anethum graveolens_), the "kooyah"(_Valeriana edulis_), and the root of a species of thistle (_circiumvirginianum_). Many species of fruits and berries furnish him with anoccasional meal; and the sweet pods of the mesquites (species of_acacia_), and the cones of the pinon tree (_pinus edulis_) formportions of his varied larder. 

He does not, however, confine himself to a vegetable diet. Like most ofhis kind, he is also carnivorous, and will dine off the carcass of ahorse or buffalo. The latter animal, notwithstanding its enormous bulkand strength, frequently falls a prey to the grizzly bear. The longmasses of hair that hang over the eyes of the buffalo, hinder it fromperceiving the presence of an enemy; and, unless warned by the scent, itis easily approached. The bear, knowing this, steals up against thewind; and, when within safe distance, springs upon the hind quarters ofthe ruminant, and cramping it in his great claws, succeeds in draggingit to the ground. He is even able to transport the huge carcass to aconsiderable distance--for the purpose of concealing it in some thicket, and devouring it at his leisure. 

The grizzly bear is more like to the brown bear of Europe than to anyother species of the genus. His fur is long and shaggy--not presentingthe even surface which characterises the coat of the black bear. It isgenerally of a dark-brown colour--the hair being whitish at the tips, more especially during the summer season, when it becomeslighter-coloured. The head is always of a grizzled grey; and it is thisappearance that has obtained for the animal its specific name. Thereare brown, reddish-brown, bay or cinnamon--coloured, and white-breastedvarieties of the black bear; but the Indians can distinguish all thesefrom the true grizzly at a glance. In all of the latter, where thereare white hairs intermingled with the fur, it is always observable thatthese odd hairs are white to the roots; whereas the hoary appearance ofthe grizzly is caused by only the tips of the hair being white. Thischaracteristic is constant; and would of itself justify a distinctionbeing made between the species; but there are many other points ofgreater importance. The ears of the grizzly are shorter, more conical, and set wider apart than in either the _ursus americanus_ or _arctos_. His claws are white, arched, far longer, and broader than those of theother bears--their greatest breadth being across their upper surface. Underneath they are chamfered away to a sharp edge; and projecting farbeyond the hair of the foot, they cut like chisels when the animalstrikes a blow with them. His huge paw is both broader and longer thanthat of other bears; while his tail, on the other hand, is short andinconspicuous--being completely buried under the fur of his buttocks. So characteristic is this appendage for its extreme shortness, that itis a standing joke among the Indians--when they have killed a grizzlybear--to desire any one unacquainted with the animal, to take hold ofits tail!

This appendage in the _ursus americanus_ and _ursus arctos_ isconspicuous enough; and in the Barren Ground bear is still longer thanin either. 

There could be no possibility of mistaking an old or full-grown grizzlyfor any of the kindred species. Both in size and aspect he isdifferent. It is only in the case of young or half-grown specimenswhere a mistake of this kind is likely to be made. The enormous size ofthe old males--often weighing 1, 000 pounds, and quite equalling thelargest individuals of the _ursus maritimus_--renders them easy ofidentification; though it is certain that under favourable circumstancesthe _ursus arctos_ often attains to a similar bulk. 

In ferocity of disposition, however, in carnivorous inclination, and instrength and power to carry out his mischievous propensities, no bear, not even the _ursus maritimus_, appears to be a match for this monsterof the Rocky Mountains. The hunter never thinks of attacking him, unless when assisted by a number of his comrades; and even then it maybe a fatal encounter for one or more of them. Were it not for theadvantage obtained by their being mounted on horseback, the grizzlywould always have a wide berth given him: but fortunately this fiercequadruped is unable to overtake the mounted hunter--although he caneasily come up with a man on foot. 

As to fearing or running away from a human antagonist, the youngergrizzlies may sometimes do so; but when an old male has been attackedthe case is quite different. A full-grown individual will stand hisground against a crowd of assailants--charging from one to the other, and showing fight so long as there is breath in his body. 

The number of Indian and white hunters, who have either been killed orbadly mutilated by grizzly bears, is almost incredible. Were it notthat these men are usually mounted on good horses the list would havebeen still greater; and his intended victims often find another means ofescaping from his claws--by taking to a tree. 

Fortunate it is that nature has not bestowed upon the grizzly the powerof tree-climbing; else many a pursued hunter, who has succeeded ingaining the branches of a friendly cottonwood, might have found hisrefuge anything but a secure one. 

In fact, climbing into a tree--when one can be reached--is the commonresource of all persons pursued by the grizzly bear; and by this meansdid our hunters themselves escape from a brace of infuriated grizzlies, while engaged in hunting these formidable animals. 

CHAPTER FORTY NINE. 

A FUR-TRADER'S FORT. 

Having settled their accounts with Bruin of the Barren Grounds, ourtravellers proceeded down the Mackenzie river to the Hudson's Bay postof Fort Simpson. Thence they ascended a large tributary of theMackenzie, known as the "River of the Mountains, "--or as the Canadianvoyagers call it, _Riviere aux Liards_. This large stream has itssources far beyond the highest peaks of the Rocky Mountains: thusexhibiting the curious phenomenon of a river, breaking through a chainof mountains in a transverse direction; though the same occurs inseveral other parts of the Rocky Mountain range, and also in the Andesof South America. On the _Riviere aux Liards_ the Hudson's Bay Companyhave several posts--as Forts Simpson, Liard, and Halkett--thelast-mentioned being far up among the mountains. Westward again, uponthe Pacific side, they have other trading stations--the most importantof which is that of Pellyss Banks, situated at the junction of Lewis andPelly rivers. These rivers, after joining, run into the Pacific, notfar from Mount Saint Elios--long noted as a landmark to the navigatorsof the North Pacific ocean. 

From Fort Halkett, a route has been established to the post at Pelly'sBanks by means of Dease's river--which is one of the effluents of the_Riviere aux Liards_--and partly by canoe navigation and partly by"portage;" the continent can be crossed in this northern latitude. FromPelly's Banks to the Pacific coast the route is still easier--for notonly do the Russians visit these parts, but there are native Indiantraders who go twice every year from Pelly's Banks to Sitka--theentrepot of the Russian Fur Company--and the Lynn channel, a little tothe north of Sitka, is also visited by the steamers of the Hudson's BayCompany itself. 

Our travellers would therefore have no difficulty in reaching Sitka; andthence crossing to the peninsula of Kamschatka, on the Asiatic coast. On their way over the Rocky Mountains, they would be certain to fall inwith the grizzly; and in the countries lying along the Pacific, theycould obtain that variety of the _ursus americanus_, known as the"cinnamon bear"--for it is to the west of the Rocky Mountains--inCalifornia, Oregon, British Columbia, and Russian America--that thisspice-coloured species is most frequently met with. 

A party of fur-traders and trappers were just starting from Fort Simpsonto carry supplies up to the posts of Liard and Halkett; and along withthem our travellers went. 

On reaching the last-named station, they came to a halt, for the purposeof hunting the grizzly. 

They were not long in starting their game--for this fierce monster ofthe mountains is far from being a scarce animal. In fact, in thosedistricts which they choose for their "beat, " the grizzly bears are morenumerous than most other quadrupeds; and not unfrequently half a dozenor more of them may be seen together. It is not that they are_gregarious_; but simply, that, being in considerable numbers in aparticular neighbourhood, accident thus brings them together. To seetroops of four associating together is very common; but these are merelythe members of one family--male, female, and yearling cubs--for two isthe number of the progeny--the grizzly bear in this respect resemblinghis congener of the _ursus maritimus_, and differing as essentially fromthe black and brown bears--with whom three is the usual number of cubsat a birth. 

There are good reasons why the grizzly bears are not in much danger ofbeing exterminated. In the first place, their flesh is of inferiorquality. Even the Indians will not eat it; while they relish that ofthe black species. Secondly, their robe is of scarce any value, andfetches but a trifling price in the fur-market. Thirdly--and perhapsthe most powerful reason of all--is that the hunter cares not to riskhis life in an encounter with these animals, knowing that there is noadequate reward for such risk. For this reason "Old Ephraim"--as thetrappers jocosely style the grizzly--is usually permitted to go his waywithout molestation, and, therefore, instead of being thinned off by anexterminating chase--such as is pursued against the buffalo, or even theblack bear, whose robe is marketable--the grizzly maintains hisnumerical strength in most places where he is found. 

At Fort Halkett--in consequence of a scarcity of hands, and the greatpressure of business, in forwarding the brigade onward to the PellyStation--our young hunters were unable to obtain a guide; and thereforestarted out for the chase alone--Pouchskin, of course, being one of theparty. 

The trading post of Fort Halkett being situated in the midst of thewildest region--without any cultivated ground or other settlement aroundit--they would not have far to go before finding a grizzly. Indeed, they were as likely to meet with one within sight of the Port asanywhere else; and from the moment of passing through the gate of thestockade they were on the lookout. 

They had not the good fortune, however, to meet with one so very easily, for although they came upon the traces of bears, and saw numerous signsof them, they could not set eyes upon them; and returned from theirfirst excursion rather disheartened with their day's work. 

In one thing, however, they had their reward. They had succeeded inshooting one of the rarest animals of America, a creature only met within the more northern districts of the Rocky Mountains--that is, the"Rocky Mountain goat" (_capra americana_). This rare quadruped--whoselong, snow-white, silky hair renders it one of the most attractive ofanimals--is a true wild goat; and the only species of the genusindigenous to America. It is about the size of the common domesticbreeds, and horned as they; but the shining hair over its flanks andbody is frequently so long as to hang down almost to its hoofs--givingthe animal the appearance of having a much heavier body and much shorterlegs than it really has. Like the ibex of Europe, it is only met withon the loftiest summits of the mountains, upon peaks and cliffsinaccessible to almost every other quadruped--the mountain sheep aloneexcepted. It is much shyer than the latter, and far more difficult ofapproach--the consequence being, that its beautiful skin, though highlyprized, and commanding a good price, is but rarely obtained, even by themost expert hunters. 

Having succeeded in bringing down one of these precious animals, ouryoung hunters were satisfied with their day's work--almost as well as ifit had been a grizzly they had killed. 

On their second day's excursion, however, this feat was alsoaccomplished--as we shall now proceed to relate. 

CHAPTER FIFTY. 

TREED BY OLD EPHRAIM. 

They had got about a mile from the Fort; and were proceeding cautiouslyalong through a hilly country, where thicket-like groves grewinterspersed with patches of open ground, forming park-like scenery. There are many scenes of this character in the valleys of the RockyMountains; and in the more northern latitudes these groves often consistof berry-bearing bushes--such as wild currants, bird and choke cherries, the _amelanchier_ and _hippophae canadensis_. Of all these fruits thegrizzly bear is known to be exceedingly fond; and as the thickets amongwhich our hunters had entered contained many trees of the above kinds--at that season drooping under their ripe fruit--it was but reasonable toexpect they might find some of the grizzlies engaged in gathering them. They had been told at the fort that this was a favourite browsing-placeof the bear; and, as they passed along they had evidence of thecorrectness of the information by seeing the cherry-trees with theirbranches broken--and some of the stems pulled down into a slantingposition, --evidently done by the bears to enable them to getconveniently at the fruit. From the trees that had been treated in thisrough manner all the fruit had been stripped off as clean as if a partyof "cherry-pickers" had passed that way. 

The ravages exhibited a very recent sign. Most of them must have beendone within a week; and one tree looked as freshly torn, as if it hadbeen pulled about that very morning. 

Of course, with such indications before their eyes, our hunters wereadvancing on the _qui vive_. --not knowing the instant that Bruin mightbreak out. 

It would not be correct to say that they were proceeding with caution. Had they been sufficiently cautious, they would not have been there_afoot_. Of course they were on foot--since no horses could be procuredin these parts. To go afoot in pursuit of such game as grizzly bearswas the height of indiscretion; and the traders had told them so; butthey made light of what they had been told, for two reasons, --first, because it was absolutely necessary they should kill a grizzly and striphim of his skin; and secondly, because our young hunters, Pouchskin aswell, had but a very indefinite idea of the risk they were running. They had heard that the grizzly was one of the fiercest of its kind; butbecause it was called a bear, and they had now hunted and killed so manyother bears, they fancied this one might be as easily conquered as anyof its congeners. They had heard that these animals often turn tail andrun away at sight of man; but these stories are deceptive. The bearsthat do so are either juvenile grizzlies or brown individuals of the_versus americanus_--which are often mistaken for the grizzly. 

With "old Ephraim" himself the case is quite different, as we havealready said. On sight of a human enemy, instead of running away, thegrizzly more frequently runs towards him, charging forward with openmouth, and often without having received the slightest provocation. 

Of this fact our hunters had proof almost upon the instant. They hadentered a wide tract, sparsely covered with trees; but such small trees, and so thinly standing over the ground, that the hunters might havefancied them to have been planted; and that they were entering withinthe boundaries of some old orchard. The tract thus characterised wasabout five or six acres in superficial extent; and surrounded by thesame kind of coppice that covered most of the face of the country. 

Under the thin trees there was neither underwood, nor long grass; andthey could see between their trunks in every direction, to the edge ofthe jungle that grew around. 

While walking quietly along, a singular noise reached their ears, thatcaused them suddenly to halt in their tracks. It caused them to turnalso: for the noise appeared to come from behind them. It resembled thehurried breathing of a person badly afflicted with asthma; but so muchlouder, that if it had proceeded from human lungs, they could only havebeen those of an asthmatic giant!

It was, in reality, a gigantic creature that produced the noise: sinceit was neither more nor less than a grizzly bear. Not one alone, but abrace of these monstrous animals--a male and female, no doubt--were seenat that moment by the edge of the thicket, out of which the hunters hadjust emerged. Both were standing on their hind limbs, and both utteringthe strange snuffing noise that had attracted attention to them. Othernoises were now mingled with these--sharp querulous grunts--and, by thegestures which the bears were making, it was evident they not only sawthe three hunters in the open ground, but were reconnoitring themperhaps with an intention to make an attack upon them!

Our hunters were quite taken aback. They had expected, at least, tohave been allowed the initiative in any conflict that might occur; butthey now saw that, instead of being the assailing party, they werelikely to be the assailed!

They had no time for deliberation; for the brace of bears, apparentlyhaving satisfied themselves with their threatening demonstrations, dropped down on all-fours, and came galloping onward--almost as fast ashorses could have done!

The three hunters fired at once; and not with out effect: for one of thebears fell to their shots. It was the smaller one, and that which hadbeen foremost. Acting without concert, they had all aimed at the sameanimal--choosing that which was nearest; and this was unfortunate, forhad some one of them sighted the other and bigger bear, they might havegiven him a wound that would have, at least, crippled him. 

As it was, he had neither been shot at, nor touched; and the fall of hismate--for it was the male who survived--now so completely exasperatedhim, that he rushed on with the full determination to deal death amongthe enemies who had bereaved him. 

It was fortunate that he stopped a moment over his fallen companion. Hedid so as if to convince himself that she was dead. It was only for aninstant; but a precious instant that was to all three of the hunters. It gave them sufficient time to take to a tree--each springing up to theone that was most convenient. Alexis and Ivan being young and nimble, easily accomplished this feat; but it cost Pouchskin an effort; and hecame very near making it in vain. He had got his arms over a branch, and was drawing his great booted legs after him; but, before he couldraise them to a sufficient height, the bear had arrived upon the ground, and reared upward to seize him. 

Ivan and Alexis uttered a simultaneous shout of alarm. They saw theshaggy forearms of the quadruped doubled around the legs of theirfaithful follower; and were looking to see Pouchskin in another momentpulled down from the tree. What was their delight, as well asastonishment, on seeing the bear fall "slap" back to the earth--with oneof the ex-grenadier's great boots fast clutched between his paws--whilePouchskin himself was seen gliding upward to the top branches of thetree!

A shout of joy followed the cry of alarm, to which they had just givenutterance; and without another word all three hastened to reload theirguns. 

Meanwhile the disappointed bear appeared determined to revenge himselfon the boot; and for some seconds continued to tear it--both with teethand claws--till nothing of its original shape remained. Then, scattering the fragments over the ground, he desisted from this idleemployment; and rushed back to the trunk of the tree up which Pouchskinhad climbed. He knew--from having often made the experiment--that hecould not climb it; nor did he attempt to do so; but seizing the slendertrunk in his powerful grasp, he shook the tree backward and forward, asif endeavouring to drag it up by the roots or throw it to the ground. 

For some time our hunters were not without apprehensions that he mightsucceed. The tree was not bigger than an ordinary pear-tree; and itstrunk vibrated from side to side, and bent over to such an extent, thatits roots could be heard cracking beneath the ground. 

Pouchskin, far up in the top, was tossed backward and forward--as if hehad been a shuttlecock between two battledores--and it was just as muchas he could do to keep his hold among the branches, much less finish theloading of his fusil, which he had only half accomplished when therocking began. Had he been alone, his position would have been one ofgreat danger: for no doubt, in process of time, the bear would have torndown the tree. But the efforts of Bruin were brought to a suddentermination; for Ivan and Alexis, having now reloaded, took careful aim, and sent both their bullets into the body of the beast. One of theshots must have hit him in a mortal part: since, on receiving it, thebear let go his hold, dropped down from his erect attitude, and doublinghimself up at the bottom of the tree, looked as if he had suddenly goneto sleep! But the red stream, pouring out from his still distendedjaws, told that it was the sleep of death that had overtaken him. 

Our hunters, assured that both bears were dead, now descended from theirrespective perches; but the sight of Pouchskin, with one leg instocking, and the other buried up to the thigh in a great horse-skinboot, would have been too much for the gravity of a judge, and his youngmasters were once more merry at his expense. 

Having skinned the bears, they returned to the fort with their spoils--to the no slight astonishment of some of the old trappers stationedthere. They could scarce believe that these young strangers werecapable of accomplishing such a feat as the conquest of a couple offull-grown grizzlies. The thing had been done, however--as the trophiestestified--and it is needless to say that our hunters, by this gallantaction, gained golden opinions from the "mountain men. "

They had no desire, however, to try another contest of the kind. Theyhad become perfectly satisfied of the great peril to be expected in anencounter with "Old Ephraim;" and were only too well pleased of havingit in their power, on all future occasions, to imitate the example ofother travellers, and give the grizzly a "wide berth. "

Indeed, they would have had no opportunity, had they desired it, to huntthe bear any longer in that neighbourhood: for the "boat" brigade, withwhich they were travelling, started the next day for Fort Pelly; and itwas necessary for them to accompany it, as the journey could nototherwise be accomplished. 

They arrived at this last-named place in safety; and, with some nativetraders, that chanced to be at the fort, they were enabled to proceedonward to the Russian settlement of Sitka--where the magic cipher whichAlexis carried in his pocket procured them the most hospitable treatmentthat such a wild, out-of-the-way place could afford. 

They had been fortunate, upon their route, to procure a skin of the"cinnamon" bear--as well as one of black colour with a white breast, both of which Alexis was able to identify as mere varieties of the_ursus americanus_. These varieties are sometimes seen to the east ofthe Rocky Mountains; but they are far more common throughout thecountries along the Pacific--and especially in Russian America, wherethe cinnamon-coloured kind is usually termed the "red bear. " Theyoccur, moreover, in the Aleutian islands; and very probably in Japan andKamschatka--in which country bears are exceedingly numerous--evidentlyof several species, confusedly described and ill identified. Unfortunately, the Russian naturalists--whose special duty it has beento make known the natural history of the countries lying around theNorth Pacific--have done their work in a slovenly and childlike manner. 

Bruin--by Captain Mayne Reid

CHAPTER FIFTY ONE. 

THE KAMSCHATDALES. 

The bear of Kamschatka had to be skinned next. But it was necessary tocatch one before he could be skinned; and also necessary to go toKamschatka before he could be caught. To get to Kamschatka was not sodifficult as it may sound to the ear. Our travellers were just in theplace, from which it was possible to, proceed direct to this Asiaticpeninsula. Vessels belonging to the Russian Fur Company every yearcollect the furs along the north-west coast of America, and among theFox and Aleutian islands--Sitka being their port of rendezvous. Thenceproceeding to the harbour of Saint Peter and Saint Paul(Petropaulouski), on the coast of Kamschatka, they complete theircargoes with the "skin crop" that during the winter has been collectedthroughout the peninsula. Thence to China a portion of these furs aretaken--especially skins of the sable, which the Chinese mandarins useextensively for trimming their costly robes; and for which, teas, silk, lacquer-ware, and other articles of Chinese manufacture are given inexchange. 

The Japanese also, and other wealthy Oriental nations, buy up quantitiesof costly furs; but by far the greater portion of this produce isconsumed by the Russians themselves--in whose cold climate some sort ofa fur coat is almost a necessity. Even most of the furs collected bythe Hudson's Bay Company find their way into Russia: for the consumptionof these goods in Great Britain is extremely limited, compared with thatof many other articles _de luxe_. 

In the fur ship our travellers proceeded from Sitka to the port ofPetropaulouski, which is situated on Avatcha bay, near the southern endof the peninsula. 

As Avatcha bay is nearly land-locked, it forms one of the most shelteredharbours on that side of the Pacific; but unfortunately during winterthe bay freezes over; and then ships can neither get into nor out of it. 

The vessel which carried our adventurers arrived at Petropaulouski latein the spring; but, as the winter had been unusually prolonged, the baywas still blocked up with ice, and the ship could not get up to thelittle town. This did not hinder them from landing. Dog-sledges werebrought out upon the ice by the inhabitants; and upon these ourtravellers were carried to the town, or "ostrog" as it is called--suchbeing the name given to the villages of Kamschatka. 

In Petropaulouski, many curious objects and customs came under theobservation of our travellers. They saw no less than three kinds ofhouses--first, the "isbas, " built of logs, and not unlike the log-cabinsof America. These are the best sort of dwellings; and belong to theRussian merchants and officials, who reside there--as well as to theCossack soldiers, who are kept by the Russian Government in Kamschatka. 

The native Kamschatdales have two kinds of houses of indigenousarchitecture--one for summer, the "balagan, " and another to which theyretire during the winter, called the "jourt. " The balagan isconstructed of poles and thatch upon a raised platform--to which theKamschatdale climbs up by means of a notched trunk of a tree. There isonly one story of the house itself--which is merely the sloping thatchedroof--with a hole in the top to give passage to the smoke--and resemblesa rough tent or hayrick set upon an elevated stand. The space under theplatform is left open; and serves as a store-house for the dried fish, that forms the staple food of all sorts of people in Kamschatka. Here, too, the sledges and sledge harness are kept; and the dogs, of whichevery family owns a large pack, use this lower story as a sleepingplace. 

The winter-house or "jourt, " is constructed very differently. It is agreat hole sunk in the ground to the depth of eight or ten feet, linedround the sides with pieces of timber, and roofed over above the surfaceof the ground--so as to look like the rounded dome of a large bake-oven. A hole at the apex is intended for the chimney, but it is also thedoor: Since there is no other mode of entrance into the jourt, and theinterior is reached by descending a notched tree trunk--similar to thatused in climbing up to the balagan. 

The curious fur dresses of the Kamschatdales; their thin yellowish whitedogs, resembling the Pomeranian breed; their dog-sledges, which they usefor travelling in winter; the customs and habits of these singularpeople; all formed an interesting study to our travellers, and enrichedtheir journal with notes and observations. We find it recorded there, how these people spend their time and obtain their subsistence. Verylittle agriculture is practised by them--the climate being unfavourableto the growth of the cereals. In some parts barley and rye arecultivated; but only to a _very_ limited extent. Cattle are scarce--afew only being kept by the Russian and Cossack settlers; and horses areequally rare, such as there are belonging to the officials of theGovernment, and used for Government purposes. The common or "native"people subsist almost entirely on a fish diet--their lakes and riversfurnishing them with abundance of fish; and the whole of the summer isspent in catching and drying these for their winter provision. Severalwild vegetable productions are added--roots and berries, and even thebark of trees--all of which are eaten along with the dried fish. Wildanimals also furnish part of their subsistence; and it is by the skinsof these--especially the sable--that the people pay their annual tax, ortribute, to the Russian Government. From animals, too, their clothingis chiefly manufactured; and many other articles used in their domesticeconomy. The peninsula is rich in the fur-bearing quadrupeds, and someof these furnish the very best quality of furs that are known tocommerce. The sable of Kamschatka is of a superior kind as also themany varieties of the fox. They have, besides, the wolverine and wolf, the ermine and Arctic fox, the marmot and polar hare, and severalsmaller animals that yield furs of commercial value. The sea otter iscommon upon the coasts of Kamschatka; and this is also an object of thechase--its skin being among the costliest of "peltries. " The great_argali_, or wild sheep, and the reindeer, furnish them both with fleshand skins; but one of the chief objects of the chase is that greatquadruped for which our young hunters had come all the way toKamschatka, the bear. Into his presence they would find no difficultyin introducing themselves: for perhaps in no country in the world doesmaster Bruin's family muster so strongly as in this very peninsula. 

CHAPTER FIFTY TWO. 

FISHING-BEARS. 

Previous to starting forth in search of the Kamschatkan bear, ourhunters collected all the particulars they could in regard to the hauntsand habits of this animal. 

They learnt that there were at least two varieties known to the Kurilskiand Koriac hunters. One of them was the more common kind--a brown bear, closely resembling the _ursus arctos_; and the other also a brown bear;but with a whitish list running up from the under part of his throat, and meeting like a collar over the tops of his shoulders. This latterkind was undoubtedly the species known as the "Siberian bear" (_ursuscollaris_); and which has an extensive range throughout most of thecountries of Northern Asia. The native hunters alleged that the twokinds were of nearly similar habits. Both went to sleep during thewinter--concealing themselves cunningly in caves and crevices amongrocks, or among fallen timber, where such could be found in sufficientquantity to afford them shelter. 

One remarkable habit of these bears indicates a very marked differencebetween them and the _ursus arctos_, with which they have been usuallyclassed; and that is, that they are _fishing-bears_--subsisting almostexclusively on fish, which they catch for themselves. During theirwinter sleep, of course they eat nothing; but in spring, as soon as theyemerge from their retreats, they at once betake themselves to thenumerous streams and lakes, with which the country abounds; and roamingalong the banks of these, or wading in the water itself, they spend thewhole of their time in angling about after trout and salmon. There, fish, thanks to their immense numbers, and the shallowness of the waterin most of the lakes and streams, the bears are enabled to catch almostat discretion. They wade into the water, and getting among the shoalsof the fish as they are passing to and fro, strike them dead with theirpaws. The fish are killed as instantaneously as if impaled upon afishing spear; and in such numbers do the bears capture them, at certainseasons, that the captors grow dainty, and only eat a portion of eachfish! They show a strange preference for that part, which is usuallyconsidered refuse, the head, --leaving the tail, with a considerableportion of the body, untouched. The rejected portions, however, are notlost; for another animal, still hungrier than the bears, and lessskilful in the piscatory art, is at this time also in search of a mealof fish. 

This creature is the Kamschatkan dog--not a wild species, as you maysuppose, but the trained sledge-dogs of the Kamschatdales themselves;which at this season forsake the "ostrogs, " or villages, and betakethemselves to the borders of the lakes and rivers. There they remainduring the whole period of summer, feeding upon fish--which they alsoknow how to capture--and eating up such portions as have been refused bythe bears. In fact, this is the only food which these poor dogs canget; and, as they are not needed during the summer season, they do notthink of returning home until frost sets in. Then, strange to say, oneand all of them go voluntarily back, and surrender themselves up totheir old masters--hard taskmasters too, who not only work them likeslaves, but half starve them throughout the whole winter. Thisvoluntary submission to their "yoke" has been quoted as an illustrationof the high training and faithful disposition of the Kamschatkan dogs;but it has its origin in a fur different motive than that of merefidelity. Their return to the snug shelter of the _balagan_ is simplyan instinct of self-preservation: for the sagacious animals well know, that in winter the lakes and streams will be completely frozen over, andwere they to remain abroad, they would absolutely perish either fromhunger or cold. Even the wretched winter allowance of heads andentrails of fish--the only crumbs that fall to their share--is betterthan nothing at all; which would be their portion were they to remainabroad among the bare snow-clad hills and valleys of Kamschatka. TheKamschatdales have various modes of taking the bear. In early winterthey sometimes find his track in the snow; and then pursue him with agun and a bear-spear, killing him as they best can. Later still, whenhe has gone to sleep in his den, he is often found--by similarindications as those which guide the Laplanders, North American Indians, and Esquimaux--such as the hoar caused by his breath showing over thespot, or by their hunting-dogs scenting him out, and barking at theentrance. The log-trap, or dead-fall, is also in use among theKamschatkan hunters; and the penn formed around the mouth of the bear'scave, shutting him up, until an entrance can be dug into it from above. 

In the summer time the mode is different. Then the hunter lies inambush, with his loaded rifle--for the Kamschatdale carries thisweapon--in such places as he expects the bear to pass. These are on thebanks of the streams and lakes that abound in fish; and as the bearsramble along the edge of the water, or are even seen swimming or wadinginto it, the patient hunter is pretty sure of getting a shot. Should hefail to bring down Bruin at the first fire, the game becomes uncertain;and sometimes dangerous: since the animal often charges upon the hunter. Even though the latter may be concealed among the long reeds andbushes, the sagacious bear, guided by the smoke and blaze of the powdereasily finds out his assailant. The hunter, however, never fireswithout taking a deliberate aim. He carries a forked stick, over whichhe rests his piece, and never fires off-hand. To miss would not onlyendanger his life and the loss of his game, but what is also ofconsequence to a Kamschatdale, the loss of his powder and bullet--costlyarticles in this remote corner of the earth. In case of missing, he hasstill his bear-spear and a long-bladed knife to fall back upon; and withthese he defends himself as well as he can--though not unfrequentlyBruin proves the victor, and the hunter the victim. 

There are certain times when the Siberian bears become exceedinglydangerous to approach. The season of rut--which occurs in the latterpart of the summer--is one of those; but there is another period ofdanger--which, however, does not happen every year. When the springchances to be late--on account of a prolonged winter--and when the lakesand streams remain frozen over, after the bears have come forth fromtheir hiding-places, then "ware Bruin" is a caution which it is prudentto observe. The fierce animals, half-famished for want of their usualdiet of fish, roam over the country in all directions; and fearlesslyapproach the "ostrogs, " roaming around the balagans and jourts in searchof something to eat. Woe to the Kamschatdale that gets in their tray atsuch a time--for the bear, instead of waiting to be attached, becomeshimself the assailant; and, as great numbers of these quadrupeds oftentroop about together, of course the encounter is all the more perilous. 

It was just in such a spring that our young hunters had arrived atPetropaulouski; and stories of numerous bear conflicts, that hadrecently occurred in the neighbourhood, were rife in the village; whilethe number of fresh skies every day brought in by the Kurilski hunters, showed that bears could not be otherwise than plentiful in the countryadjacent. 

Guided by one of these hunters, our party set forth upon a search. Thesnow still covered the ground; and, of course, they travelled insledges--each having one to himself, drawn by five dogs, as is thecustom of the country. The dogs are harnessed two and two abreast, withthe odd one in front. Each has his collar of bearskin, with a leatherthong for a trace; and five of them are sufficient to draw the littlesledge with a man in it. The sledge, called _saunka_, is less than fourfeet long; and, being made of the lightest birch wood, is of very littleweight. 

A curved stick, called the _oschtol_--with an iron point, and littlebells at the other end--is used to direct the dogs; and, urged on bythis and by well-known exclamations of their driver, they will go at aspeed of many miles an hour. 

In this slight vehicle, hills, valleys, lakes, and rivers are crossed, without such a thing as a road being thought of; and when the dogs aregood, and have been well cared for, an immense distance may be passedover in a day. 

In less than an hour after their departure from Petropaulouski, ourhunters had entered amid the wildest scenery--where not the slightestsign of either cultivation or human habitation was to be seen, and whereat any moment they might expect to come in sight of their great game. 

CHAPTER FIFTY THREE. 

DOG-DRIVING. 

The guide was conducting them to a stream that ran into the bay some tenor twelve miles from the "ostrog. " On that stream, he said, they wouldbe pretty certain to find a bear, if not several: since at a place heknew of the water was not frozen, and the bears might be there trying tocatch fish. When questioned as to why this particular stream was notfrozen like the others, he said that some distance up it there were warmsprings--a phenomenon of frequent occurrence in the peninsula ofKamschatka--that these springs supplied most of the water of the stream;and that for several hundred yards below where they gushed forth, theriver was kept open by their warmth during the severest winters. Notthroughout its whole course, however. Farther down, where the waterbecame cool, it froze like in other streams; and that this was the case, was evident to our hunters, who had entered the mouth of the rivers fromthe icy surface of the bay, and were gliding in their sledges up itsfrozen channel. 

After having gone three or four miles up this icebound stream, which ranthrough a narrow valley with steep sloping sides, the guide warned ourhunters that they were close to the place where the water would be foundopen. At this point a low ridge ran transversely across the valley--through which the stream had, in process of time, cut a channel; but theridge occasioned a dam or lake of some half-dozen acres in superficialextent, which lay just above it. The dam itself was rarely frozen over;and it was by the water remaining in it, or flowing sluggishly throughit--and thus giving it time to cool--that the stream immediately belowgot frozen over. 

The lake lay just on the other side of the ridge, and was now onlyhidden from their view by the rise of the ground. If not frozen over, as the guide conjectured, there was likely to be a bear roaming aroundits edge; and therefore they resolved to observe caution in approachingit. 

The sledges were to be taken no further. Our hunters had learnt how tomanage both dog-sledges and dogs. Their experience in Finland, as wellas in the countries of the Hudson's Bay territory, had taught them that;and made them skilful in the handling of these animals--else they wouldhave made but poor work in travelling as they did now. In fact, theycould not have managed at all: since it requires a great deal oftraining to be able to drive a dog-sledge. This, however, they hadreceived--both the boys and Pouchskin--and fortunate it had been so; forvery shortly after they were placed in a predicament, in which theirlives depended on their skill as sledge drivers. 

The dogs were left under cover of the ridge, near the bottom of thelittle slope; a sign was given to them to keep their places--which thesewell-trained creatures perfectly comprehended; and the hunters--theKurilski with the rest--holding their guns in readiness, ascendedtowards the summit of the slope. 

There was no cover, except what was afforded by the inequality of theground. There were no trees in the valley--only stunted bushes, nothalf the height of a man's body, and these nearly buried to their topsin the snow. A few, however, appeared growing along the crest of theridge. 

The hunters crawled up to these on all-fours, and peeped cautiouslythrough their branches. 

It was the impatient Ivan that looked first; and what he saw sosurprised him, as almost to deprive him of the power of speech! Indeed, he was not able to explain what he saw--till the other three had gotforward, and became equally eye-witnesses of the spectacle that hadastonished him. 

As the guide had conjectured, the lake was not frozen. There was someloose snow floating over its surface; but most of the water was open;and the stream that flowed slowly in on the opposite side was quiteclear of either ice or snow. 

The guide had also predicted hypothetically that they might see a bear--perhaps two. It had not occurred to this man of moderate pretensionsthat they might see _twelve_--and yet no less than twelve bears were insight!

Yes, twelve bears--they were as easily counted as oxen--were around theshores of this secluded lake, and on the banks of the little stream thatran into it--all within five hundred yards of each other. Indeed, itwould have been easy to have mistaken them for a herd of brown heifersor oxen; had it not been for the various attitudes in which they wereseen: some upon all-fours--some standing erect, like human beings, orsquatted on their hams like gigantic squirrels--others in the water, their bodies half submerged--others swimming about, their backs andheads only visible above the surface; and still others, prowlingleisurely along the banks, or over the strip of level meadow-land thatbordered the lake. 

Such a sight our bear-hunters had never witnessed before, and mightnever witness again, in any other country, save Kamschatka itself. There it is by no means uncommon; and twenty bears instead of twelvehave been often seen in a single drove--at that season when they descendfrom their mountain retreats to their favourite fishing-grounds upon thelakes and streams. 

Our hunters were perplexed by so unexpected a sight; and for somemoments unresolved as to how they should act. Fortunately, the bushesalready mentioned served to conceal them from the bears; and the windwas blowing towards the hunters--otherwise the bears, who are keen ofscent, would soon have discovered their presence. As it was, not one ofthem--though several were close to the ridge--seemed to have anysuspicion that an enemy was so near. The huge quadrupeds appeared to betoo busy about their own affairs--endeavouring to capture the fish--someof them greedily devouring those they had already taken, and otherswandering restlessly about, or eagerly observing the movements of thefish in the water. One and all of them looked fierce and famished, their bodies showing gaunt and flaky, and their enormous limbs having alank angular appearance, that gave them a still greater resemblance toheifers--only heifers that had been half starved!

CHAPTER FIFTY FOUR. 

A SLEDGE-CHASE. 

I have said that our hunters were for some time irresolute about how toact. The Kurilski was inclined to withdraw from the spot and leave thebears alone; and this of course was his advice to the others. He saidthere might be danger in disturbing them--so many clustered together, and in such a mood as they appeared to be. He had known them to attacka large party of men under such circumstances, and give chase to them. They might do the same now?

Our hunters, however, did not give full credit to this story of theirguide--thinking it might have its origin in the fears of the Kurilski, whom they knew to be of a timid race; and therefore they determined notto back out. The chance was too tempting to be surrendered for soslight a reason, and without a struggle. There were several bearswithin easy shot of the ground where they were kneeling!

It would never do to let such an opportunity pass. They might not meetwith so good a chance again; or, at all events, they might be delayed agood long time before another would turn up; and a residence inPetropaulouski, even in the "isba" of the governor--who was himself onlya sergeant of Cossacks, and his dwelling a mere hut--was not so pleasantas that they should wish to prolong it. They had now been a great whilejourneying through countries covered with frost and snow; and they werelonging to reach those tropical isles--famed for their spices and theirloveliness--which were to be the next stage in their grand tour roundthe globe. 

Influenced by these thoughts, then, they resolved to run all hazard, andtry a shot at the bears. 

The Kurilski, seeing them determined, gave in; and, joining his gun totheirs, a volley of four shots was simultaneously discharged through thebushes. 

Two bears were seen to drop over and lie kicking upon the snow; butwhether they continued their kicking for any considerable length oftime, was a question about which our hunters could give no definiteinformation. They did not stay to see: for the moment the smoke hadcleared off, they saw the whole gang of bears in motion, and rushingtowards them from all sides of the lake. The shrill fierce screaming ofthe animals, and the hurried pace in which they were making towards theridge, declared their intentions. They were charging forward to theattack. 

The hunters saw this at a glance; and thought only of retreating. Butwhither could they fly? There were no trees; and if there had been, thebears could have climbed them even better than themselves. There weresteep rocky cliffs on both sides of the ravine; but these would affordthem no security--even had their ice-coated slope permitted of theirbeing scaled. But it did not, and if it had, the bears could havescaled the rocks too!

Our Russian hunters were in a complete state of perplexity, and perhapswould not have known how to save themselves, had it not been for theirKurilski comrade. He, however, had conceived an idea--or, rather, haddrawn it from old experience; and just at this moment he rushed down theslope, as he did so calling to the others to take to their sledges, andwarning them that it was their only chance of escape. 

Of course none of them thought of disputing his advice, or even callingit in question; but one and all of them yielded obedience on theinstant. Without saying a word, each rushed to his sledge, leaped uponthe runners, seated himself in double quick time upon the littlecrescent-like cradle, seized the "ribbons, " and straightened his team tothe road. 

Had the dogs not been well-trained, and their drivers equally well usedto the management of a sledge, their peril would have been extreme. Asit was--though all came into their places in good style, and withoutconfusion--they had not a second to spare. The bears were alreadygalloping down the slope; and as the last sledge--which wasPouchskin's--moved off from the bottom of the ridge, the foremost of theroaring pursuers had got within less than six yards of it!

It was now a trial of speed between bears and sledge-dogs--for thelatter knew that they were in as much danger as their masters; andneeded neither the exclamation _Ah_! nor the _oschtol_ to urge themforward. On swept they over the frozen crust, as fast as they couldgo--handling their limbs and claws with the nimbleness peculiar to theirrace. 

The bears followed in a sort of lumbering gallop; yet, notwithstandingtheir uncouth movements, they kept for a long time close in the rear ofthe fugitives. 

Fortunately they did not possess the speed of the canine race; and atlength--seeing that they were being distanced--one after another gave upthe chase, and commenced returning towards the lake, slowly, and withapparent reluctance. 

Just at this crisis an accident occurred to Pouchskin--or ratherPouchskin committed a mistake--which, had it been made five minutessooner, would most assuredly have cost him his life. The mistake whichPouchskin made, was to drop the iron end of his "_oschtol_" on the snowycrust between his sledge and the two dogs nearest to it--the "wheelers"as we may call them. The effect of this, with Kamschatkan sledge-dogs, is to cause the whole team to halt; and so acted the dogs that Pouchskinwas driving--all five suddenly coming to a dead stop! Pouchskinendeavoured to urge them forward--crying out the usual signal, _Ha_;but, in his anxious eagerness, Pouchskin placed the accent after thevowel, instead of before it; and instead of _Ha_! his exclamationsounded _Ah_! The latter being the command for the dogs to halt, ofcourse only kept them steady in their places; and they stood withoutoffering to move a leg. By good fortune, the bears had already given upthe pursuit, and were not witnesses of this interruption: otherwise itwould have gone ill with the ex-grenadier. 

In due time the dogs were once more started; and Pouchskin--putting themto their highest rate of speed--soon overtook the sledge-train; whichdid not come to a halt until a good mile of snow-covered country wasbetween it and the bears. 

The hunters only paused then, for a short while, to breathe theirpanting dogs; and this done, they resumed their seats on the sledges, and continued on to the ostrog--without a thought of going back afterthe bears. 

They had no intention, however, of giving them up entirely. They onlydrove home to the village--in order to get assistance; and, as soon astheir report was delivered, all the men of the settlement--Cossacks, Kurilskis, and half-breeds--turned out armed to the teeth for a grandbattue, and proceeded towards the lake with the Governor himself attheir head. 

The bears were still upon the ground--both the living and the dead--forit was now seen that two of their number had fallen to the shots of ourhunters--and upon the former a general fusillade was at once opened, which ended in their complete discomfiture. Five more of them werekilled upon the spot; and several others that took to flight weretracked through the snow, and destroyed in their hiding-places. For aweek after, there was very little fish eaten in the ostrog ofPetropaulouski--which for a long period previous to that time had notwitnessed such a carnival. 

Of course our Russian hunters came in for their share of the trophies;and, choosing the skin of one of the bears they had themselves shot, they left it with the Governor, to be forwarded _via_ Okhotsk andYakoutsk, to the distant capital of Saint Petersburg. Shortly after thefur ship carried them to Canton, --whence they might expect to find apassage in a Chinese trading vessel to the grand island of Borneo. 

CHAPTER FIFTY FIVE. 

THE SUN-BEARS. 

There are colonies of Chinese settled in different parts of Borneo--whose principal business there is the working of gold and antimonymines. These Chinese colonial settlements--along with numerous othersthroughout the Oriental islands--are under the protection and directionof a great Mercantile Company called _Kung Li_--somewhat resembling ourown East India Company. In Borneo, the headquarters of this commercialassociation of the Chinese, is the port and river of Sambos, on thewestern coast; though they have many other settlements in differentparts of the island. Of course, between these colonies and Canton thereis a regular traffic; and our travellers found no difficulty inproceeding to Borneo in a Chinese junk which traded direct from Cantonto Sambos. At Sambos there is also a Dutch settlement, or "factory, "belonging to the Dutch East India Company; and this Company has also twoother stations in the island--all, however, occupying a territory oflimited extent, compared with the large surface of the island itself. No other European settlements exist in Borneo, if we except an English"agency" lately established at the little island of Labuan; and asettlement at Sarawak, under an English adventurer, who styles himself"Rajah Brooke. "

The "rajah" rests his claim to the title and territory of Sarawak on agrant from the Sultan of Borneo (Bruni); and the _quid pro quo_ which heprofesses to have given, was the having assisted the said Sultan inputting down the "Dyak pirates!" This is the pretence hitherto putforth to the British public; but on a closer inquiry into the facts ofthis transaction, the story assumes quite a different colour; and itwould rather appear, that, instead of assisting to put down piracy inthe Bornean waters, the first act of the philanthropic Englishman was toassist the Malay Sultan in enslaving several tribes of inoffensiveDyaks, and forcing them to work without pay in the mines of antimony!This appears to have been the nature of the services that purchasedSarawak. It was, in fact, aiding the pirates, instead of putting themdown: since the Bornean Sultan was himself the actual patron andprotector of these sea robbers, instead of being their enemy!

The patriot and statesman Hume endeavoured to procure an inquiry intothese acts of Oriental _filibusterism_; but the underhand influence ofan unprincipled Administration, backed by an interested commercialclamour, was too strong for him; and the shameful usurpation has beenjustified. 

Notwithstanding that Europeans have been settled for hundreds of yearsin the islands of the Indian Archipelago--ruling them, as we may almostsay--it is astonishing how little is yet known of the great island ofBorneo. Only its coasts have been traced, and these very imperfectly. The Dutch have made one or two expeditions into the interior; but muchknowledge need not be expected from such trading hucksters as they. Their energies in the East have been expended throughout a period of twocenturies, with no other apparent object than to promote dissension, wherever it was possible; and to annihilate every spark of freedom ornobility among the races who have had the misfortune to come in contactwith them. 

Notwithstanding their opportunities, they have done little to add to ourknowledge of Borneo--which was about as well-known a hundred years agoas it is at the present hour. --Never was a subject more ripe forillustration than this magnificent island. It courts a monograph--suchas has been given to Sumatra by Marsden, by Tennant to Ceylon, and toJava by Sir Stamford Raffles. Perhaps some one of my young readers maybecome the author of that monograph?

Teeming with the most gorgeous forms of tropical life--so rich in_fauna_ and _flora_, that it might be almost regarded as a greatzoological and botanical garden combined--it will well repay thescientific explorer, who may scarce find such another field on the faceof the earth. 

Our young hunters, in contemplating the grand tropical scenery ofBorneo, were filled with admiration. The _sylva_ was quite equal toanything they had witnessed on the Amazon; while the _fauna_--especiallyin quadrupeds and _quadrumana_--was far richer. 

To one quadruped was their attention more especially directed; and Ineed hardly say that this was the Bornean bear--by far the mostbeautiful animal of the whole Bruin family. The Bornean bear is alsothe smallest of the family--in size, being even less than his nearcongener, the Malayan bear; though resembling the latter in manyparticulars. His fur is a jet black, with a muzzle of an orange-yellowcolour, and a disc of still deeper orange upon the breast, bearing acertain resemblance to the figure of a heart. The hair is thickly andevenly set over his whole body--presenting the same uniform surfacewhich characterises the black bear of North America, the two species ofSouth America, and also his Malayan cousin--who inhabits theneighbouring islands of Sumatra and Java. For the latter, indeed, he isoften taken; and many naturalists consider them as one species--thoughthis is certainly an error. The Bornean bear is not only much less inbulk; but the deep orange-colour on his breast offers a permanent markof distinction. In the Malayan bear there is also a marking on thebreast; but it is of half-moon shape and whitish colour. Besides, thecolour of the muzzle in the latter species is only _yellowish_, not_yellow_; and the animal altogether is far from being so handsome as thebear of Borneo. 

Dr Horsfield, who had good opportunities of observing them both, haspointed out other essential characteristics, which prove conclusivelythat they are separate species; but the Doctor, guided by his love forgeneric distinctions, could not rest satisfied, without furtherornamenting his task--by constituting for them a new genus, under thetitle of _Helarctos_. There is no reason whatever for this inundationof generic names. It has served no good purpose; but, on the contrary, renders the study of natural history more complicated and obscure; andto no family of animals do these remarks more pointedly apply, than tothat of the bears. So similar are all these quadrupeds to one another--so perfect is the _family likeness_ between them--that to separate theminto different genera is a mere pedantic conceit of the anatomists. There are about a dozen species in all; and the systematic naturalists--who do not even admit that number--have formed for the bears nearly asmany genera as there are species, --among which may be mentioned theridiculous titles of _Prochilus, Melursus, Helarctos_, and the like. 

The Bornean bear is as much a true species of _ursus_ as either thebrown bear of Europe, the black bear of North America, or the blackbears of the Cordilleras; and, indeed, to these last his habitsassimilate him very closely--being, like them, a vegetarian in his diet, and a great lover of sweets. 

Of his _penchant_ for honey our young hunters had proof: for, it waswhile actually engaged in plundering a hive they first saw the Borneanbear. They were at the same time successful in effecting his capture--which is now to be described. 

CHAPTER FIFTY SIX. 

THE TALL TAPANG. 

On their arrival at Sambos, our young hunters according to their usualcustom, procured a native guide to direct them to the haunts of theirgame. 

In this case it was a Dyak who became their conductor--one of those whofollow the business of bee-hunters; and who, from the very nature oftheir calling, are often brought into contact with the bears as well asthe bees. 

Under the direction of the Dyak, our hunters made an excursion to arange of wooded hills, not far from Sambos, where the sun-bear was knownto exist in great numbers; and where one was likely to be found almostat any time. 

As they were passing through the woods, they observed a very singularspecies of tree--indeed many species, that might be styled singular; butone pre-eminently so, that strongly arrested their attention. Thesetrees did not grow in any great numbers together; but only two or threein one place; and more generally they stood singly--apart from any oftheir own kind, and surrounded by other trees of the forest. But thoughsurrounded by other sorts, they were overtopped by none. On thecontrary, their own tops rose above all the others to a vast height;and, what was most singular, they did not put forth a branch from theirtrunks until the latter had shot up to some feet above the "spray" ofthe surrounding forest. It was this peculiarity that had drawn theattention of our hunters. They might not have noticed it, had they kepton under the trees; but, on crossing a slight eminence--where the groundwas open--they chanced to get a view of a number of these tall trees, and saw that they towered to a vast height, above all the others. 

Even their tops had the appearance of tall trees, standing thinly overthe ground--the ground itself being neither more nor less than thecontiguous heads of the other trees, that formed the forest. Had thisforest been a law jungle, there would have been nothing extraordinary inwhat they saw; but our hunters had already observed that it was a trueforest of grand trees--most of them a hundred feet in height. As thetrees which had attracted their admiration rose full fifty feet abovethe tops of the others, it may be imagined what tall individuals theywere. They were slender, too, in proportion to their height; and thesestems rising two hundred feet, without a single offshoot or branch uponthem, gave the trees the appearance of being still taller than theyactually were--just as a thin clean spar, set upright, looks much tallerthan a hill or a house of the same elevation. 

We have said that there were no branches for the first hundred feet orso up the stem. Beyond that there were many and large limbs; which, diverging only slightly, and in a fastigiate manner, carried the treenearly as much higher. These branches were regularly set; and coveredwith small, light, green leaves, forming a beautiful round head. 

The bark of this tree was white, and by piercing it with a knife, ourhunters perceived that it was soft and milky. The wood, too, for someinches below the periphery was so spongy, that the blade of the knifepenetrated into it almost as easily as into the stalk of a cabbage. 

The wood near the bark was of a white colour. Inwards it became harder;and had they been able to reach the heart, they would have found it veryhard, and of a dark chocolate colour. On exposure to the air, thisheart-wood turns black as ebony; and is used for similar purposes by thenative Dyaks and Malays, who manufacture from it bracelets and other_bijouterie_. 

On asking their Dyak guide the name of this remarkable tree, he said itwas called the _tapang_. This, however, gave no information regardingits species; but Alexis, shortly after, in passing under one, observedsome flowers that had fallen from its top; and having examined one ofthese, pronounced the tree a species of _ficus_--a very common genus inthe islands of the Indian Archipelago. 

If our young hunters were filled with admiration at sight of thisbeautiful tree itself, they shortly after observed something thatchanged their admiration into wonder. On advancing towards one of thetapangs, they were struck with a singular serrated appearance thatshowed along the edge of its trunk--from the ground up to the base ofits branching head. It looked as if a tall ladder was laid edgewaysalong the trunk of the tree--one side of it bidden under the bark! Ondrawing nearer, this appearance was explained. A ladder in reality itwas; but one of rare construction; and which could not have been removedfrom the tree, without taking it entirely to pieces. On closerexamination, this ladder proved to be a series of bamboo spikes--driveninto the soft trunk in a slightly slanting direction, and about two feetapart, one above the other. The spikes themselves forming the rounds, were each about a foot in length; and held firmly in their places by abamboo rail--to which their outer ends were attached by means of thinstrips of rattan. This rail extended the whole way from the ground tothe commencement of the branches. 

It was evident that this extemporised ladder had been constructed forthe purpose of climbing the tree, but with what object? Upon this headtheir Dyak guide was the very man to enlighten them: since it was hehimself who had made the ladder. The construction of such ladders, andafterwards the climbing of them, were the most essential branches of hiscalling--which, as already stated, was that of a bee-hunter. Hisaccount of the matter was as follows. A large wasp-like bee, which iscalled _lanyeh_, builds its nests upon these tall tapangs. The nestconsists of an accumulation of pale yellowish wax--which the bees attachto the under-side of the thick branches, so that these may shelter thehive from the rain. To reach these nests, the bamboo ladder isconstructed, and the ascent is made--not for the purpose of obtainingthe honey alone--but more on account of the wax, out of which the combsare formed. The lanyeh being as much _wasp_ as _bee_, produces a verysmall quantity of honey; and that, too, of inferior quality; but the waxis a valuable article, and of this several dollars' worth may beprocured from a single hive. 

It is dearly earned money--very dearly earned, indeed; but the poor Dyakbee-hunter follows the calling from motives not easily understood--sincealmost any other would afford him a living, with less labour andcertainly with less _pain_. Pain, indeed! he never succeeds inplundering the store of the _lanyeh_, without being severely stung bythe insects; and though their sting is quite as painful as that of thecommon wasp, experience seems to have rendered the Dyak almostindifferent to it. He ascends the flimsy ladder without fear--carryinga blazing torch in his hand, and a cane basket on his back. By means ofthe torch, he ejects the bees from their aerial domiciles; and, thenhaving torn their combs from the branches, he deposits them in hisbasket--the incensed insects all the while buzzing around his ears, andinflicting numerous wounds over his face and throat, as well as upon hisnaked arms! Very often he returns to the ground with his head swollento twice the size it was previous to his going up! Not a very pleasantprofession is that of a Bornean bee-hunter!

CHAPTER FIFTY SEVEN. 

THE BRUANG. 

As the party proceeded onward, they observed several other tapang-trees, with ladders attached to them; and at the bottom of one of these--whichwas the tallest they had yet seen--the guide made a halt. 

Taking off his _kris_, and throwing to the ground an axe, which he hadbrought along, he commenced ascending the tree. 

Our hunters inquired his object. They knew it could not be either honeyor wax. There had been a bees' nest upon this tree--as the laddertold--but that had been removed long ago; and there now appeared nothingamong the branches that should make it worth while to climb up to them. The answer of the bee-hunter explained his purpose. He was merelyascending to have a lookout over the forest--which in that neighbourhoodcould not be obtained by any other means than by the climbing of a_tapang_. 

It was fearful to watch the man ascending to such a dizzy height, andwith such a flimsy, uncertain support beneath his feet. It remindedthem of what they had seen at the Palombiere of the Pyrenees. 

The Dyak soon reached the top of the ladder; and for some ten minutes ormore clung there--screwing his head around, and appearing to examine theforest on all sides. At length his head rested steadily upon hisshoulders; and his gaze appeared to be fixed in one particulardirection. He was too distant for the party at the bottom of the treeto note the expression upon his countenance; but his attitude told themthat he had made some discovery. 

Shortly after he came down; and reported this discovery in laconicphrase, simply saying:--

"_Bruang_--see him!"

The hunters knew that "bruang" was the Malayan name for bear; and thecoincidence of this word with the _sobriquet_ "Bruin" had already ledthem to indulge in the speculation, as to whether the latter might nothave originally come from the East?

They did not stay to think of it then: for the guide, on regaining_terra firma_, at once started off--telling them to follow him. 

After going rapidly about a quarter of a mile through the woods, theDyak began to advance more cautiously--carefully examining each of thetrunks of the _tapangs_ that stood thinly scattered among the othertrees. 

At one of these he was seen to make an abrupt halt, at the same instantturning his face upward. The young hunters, who were close behind him, could see that there were scratches upon the soft succulent bark, as ifcaused by the claws of some animal; but, almost as soon as they had madethe observation, their eyes were directed to the animal itself. 

Away up on the tall tapang--just where its lowest limbs parted from themain stem--a black body could be distinguished. At such a distance itappeared not bigger than a squirrel; but, for all that, it was a Borneanbear; and the spot of vivid orange upon its breast could be seen shininglike a coal of fire. Close by its snout a whitish mass appearedattached under the branches. This was the waxen domicile of the_lanyeh_ bees; and a slight mist-like cloud, which hung over the place, was the swarm itself--no doubt engaged in angry conflict with theplunderer of their hive. 

The little bear was too busy in the enjoyment of his luscious meal--thatis, if the stings of the _lanyehs_ allowed him to enjoy it--to lookbelow; and for some minutes the hunters stood regarding him, withoutmaking a movement. 

Satisfied with their inspection, they were at length preparing to fireat him; when they were hindered by the Dyak--who, making signs to themto be silent, drew them all back from the tree. 

When out of sight of the bear, he counselled them to adopt a differentplan. He said--what was true enough--that at such a height they mightmiss the bear; or, even if they should hit him, a bullet would scarcebring him down--unless it should strike him in a vital part. In thecontingency of their missing, or only slightly wounding him, the animalwould at once ascend further up into the tapang; and, hidden behind theleaves and branches, might defy them. He would there remain till hungershould force him down; and, since he was just in the act of having hismeal, and had, no doubt, been eating from the time he was first espied--or longer, perhaps--he would be in a condition to stay in the tree, until their patience should be more than exhausted. 

True, they might fell the tree: they had an axe, and could soon cut thetree down--as the wood was soft; but the Dyak alleged that the bruang insuch cases usually contrives to escape. The tapang rarely falls all theway, but only upon the tops of the trees that stand thickly round; andas the Bornean bear can climb and cling like a monkey, he is nevershaken out of the branches, but springs from them into some other tree--among the thick leaves of which he may conceal himself; or, by gettingto the ground, manage to steal off. 

His advice, therefore, was, that the hunters should conceal themselvesbehind the trunks of the surrounding trees; and, observing silence, waittill the bruang had finished his mellifluous repast, and feel inclinedto come down. The Dyak said he would make his descent stern foremost;and, if they acted cautiously, they might have him at their mercy, andalmost at the muzzles of their guns. 

There was only one of the three who was not agreeable to this plan; andthat was the impatient Ivan; but, overruled by the advice of hisbrother, he also gave his consent to it. 

The three now took their respective stands behind three trees--thatformed a sort of triangle around the tapang; and the guide, who had nogun, placed himself apart--holding his kris in readiness to finish offthe bear, should the animal be only wounded. 

There was no danger to be dreaded from the encounter. The little bearof Borneo is only dangerous to the bees and white ants--or otherinsects--which he is accustomed to lick up with his long tongue. Thehuman hunter has nothing to fear from him, any more than from a timiddeer--though he will scratch, and growl, and bite, if too closelyapproached. 

It was just as the Dyak had predicted. The bruang, having finished hismeal, was seen coming down the tree tail foremost; and in this way wouldno doubt have continued on to the ground; but, before he had got halfwaydown the trunk, Ivan's impatience got the better of him; and the loudbang of his fowling-piece filled the forest with its echoes. Of courseit was a bullet that Ivan had fired; and it appeared that he had missed. It was of little use firing also his shot barrel, though he did soimmediately after. 

The effect of his shots was to frighten the bruang back up the tree; andat the first report he commenced ascending. Almost as rapidly as a cathe swarmed upward; and for a moment the chances of losing him appearedas two to one. But Alexis, who had been watching the restless movementsof his brother, had prepared himself for such an issue; and, waitingtill the bruang made a pause just under the branches, he fired his riflewith deadlier aim. The bear, in clutching to one of the limbs, hadextended his body outward, and this gave the rifleman the chance ofaiming at his head. The bullet must have told: for the bear, instead ofascending higher, was seen hanging down from the limb, as if he wasclinging to it with enfeebled strength. 

At this moment the cannon-like report of Pouchskin's fusil filled thewoods with its booming echoes; and Bruin, suddenly relaxing his grasp, came bump down among the hunters--missing Pouchskin by about the eighthpart of an inch! Lucky for the old grenadier there was even this muchof a miss. It was as good as a mile to him. Had the bear's bodydescended upon his shoulders, falling from such a height, it would haveflattened him out as dead as the bear was himself; and Pouchskin, perceiving the danger from which he had so narrowly escaped, looked asperplexed and miserable as if some great misfortune had actuallybefallen him!

CHAPTER FIFTY EIGHT. 

THE CABBAGE-EATER. 

Our heroes now, having accomplished their mission to Borneo, were aboutto cross over to the island of Sumatra; in which--as well as in Java, orupon the mainland of Malacca--they would find the other sun-bear, knownas the _ursus malayanus_; but previous to their departure from Sambos, they obtained information that led them to believe that this speciesalso inhabited the island of Borneo. It was more rarely met with thanthe orange-breasted variety; but the natives, generally better guidesthan the anatomists in the matter of specific distinctions, stoutlymaintained that there were two kinds; and the Dyak bee-hunter--whoseinterest had been secured by the ample reward already bestowed uponhim--promised them, that if they would go with him to a certain districtof country, he would show them the larger species of bruang. From theman's description of it Alexis easily recognised the _ursus malayanus_--the species they had killed being the _ursus euryspilus_. 

Indeed, had there been any doubt about this matter, it would have beenset at rest, by what our travellers saw in the streets of Sambos. Thereboth species were exhibited by the itinerant jugglers--for both thesun-bears can be easily tamed and trained--and these men stated thatthey had procured the "big bruang, " in the woods of Borneo. 

Since, then, he was there to be found, why go to Sumatra in search ofhim? They had still travelling enough before them; and they werebeginning to get tired of it. It was natural that--after so long anabsence and the endurance of so many perils and hardships--they shouldbe longing for home, and the comforts of that fine palace on the banksof the Neva. 

They resolved, therefore, to accompany the Dyak guide on a newexpedition. 

They were a whole day upon the journey; and just before nightfallreached the place, where the man expected to fall in with the bigbruangs. Of course, they could not commence their search beforemorning. They baited, therefore, and formed camp--their Dyak guideerecting a bamboo hut in less than an hour, and thatching it over withthe huge leaves of the wild _musaceae_. 

The place where they had halted was in the midst of a magnificent grove, or rather a forest, of palms; of that kind called _nibong_ by thenatives, which is a species of the genus _arenga_. It is one of the"cabbage" palms; that is, its young leaves before expanding are eaten bythe natives as a vegetable after the manner in which Europeans usecabbage. They are of a delicate whiteness, with a sweet nutty flavour;and, in point of excellence, are even superior to those of thecocoa-nut, or even the West India cabbage palm (_areca oleracea_). Butthe nibong is put by the Borneans and other natives of the IndianArchipelago to a great variety of uses. Its round stem is employed asuprights and rafters for their houses. Split into lathes, it serves forthe flooring. Sugar can be obtained from the saccharine juice of itsspadix, which also ferments into an intoxicating beverage; and sagoexists in abundance within the trunk. Pens and arrows for blow-guns arealso made from the midribs of the side leaves; and, in fact, the _arengasaccharifera_, like many other palms, serves for an endless variety ofpurposes. 

Alexis was greatly interested by the appearance of this beautiful tree;but it was too late when they arrived on the ground for him to have anopportunity of examining it. The half-hour before darkness had beenoccupied in the construction of the hut--in which all hands had bornepart. 

Early in the morning, Alexis--still curious about the arenga-trees--anddesirous of ascertaining to what genus of palms they belonged--strayedoff among them, in hopes of procuring a flower. The others remained bythe hut, preparing breakfast. 

Alexis saw none of the trees in flower, their great spathes being yetunfolded; but, toping to find some one more forward than the rest, hekept on for a considerable distance through the forest. 

As he was walking leisurely along, his eyes at intervals turned upwardto the fronds of the palms, he saw that one of the trunks directly infront of him was in motion. He stopped and listened. He heard a soundas of something in the act of being rent, just as if some one wasplucking leaves from the trees. The sound proceeded from the one thatwas in motion; but it was only its trunk that he saw; and whatever wascausing the noise and the movement appeared to be up among the greatfronds at its crown. 

Alexis regretted that he had left his gun behind him. He had no otherweapon with him but his knife. Not that he was afraid: for the animalcould not be an elephant in the top of a palm-tree, nor a rhinoceros;and these were the only quadrupeds that need be greatly dreaded in aBornean forest: since the royal tiger, though common enough both in Javaand Sumatra, is not an inhabitant of Borneo. 

It was not fear that caused him to regret having left his gun behindhim; but simply that he should lose the chance of shooting some animal--perhaps a rare one. That it was a large one he could tell by themovement of the tree: since no squirrel or small quadruped could havecaused the stout trunk of the palm to vibrate in such a violent manner. 

I need not say how the regret of the young hunter was increased, when heapproached the tree, and looking up, saw what the animal really was--abear, and that bear the true _ursus malayanus_! Yes, there was he, withhis black body, yellowish muzzle, and white half-moon upon his breast--busy gorging himself upon the tender leaflets of the arenga--whose whitefragments, constantly dropping from his jaws, strewed the ground at thebottom of the tree. 

Alexis now remembered that this was a well-known habit of the Malayanbear--whose favourite food is the "cabbage" of palm-trees, and who oftenextends his depredations to the cocoa plantations, destroying hundredsof trees before he can be detected and destroyed himself. Of coursethis wild arenga wood--furnishing the bear with as much "cabbage" as hemight require--was just the place for him; and Alexis now understood thereason why the Dyak had conducted them thither. 

As the naturalist knew that this kind of bear was more rare than theother species--that is, in Borneo--he now more than ever felt chagrin atnot having his gun with him. To attempt attacking the animal with hisknife would have been absurd, as well as dangerous--for the Malayan bearcan maintain a better fight than his Bornean brother. 

But, indeed, even had Alexis desired it, there would have been no chanceto reach the animal with his knife--unless the hunter should himselfclimb up the palm; and that was more than he either dared or could. 

Of course the bear had long ere this perceived his enemy at the foot ofthe tree; and, uttering a series of low querulous cries, had desistedfrom his cabbage eating, and placed himself in an attitude of defence. It was evident from the position he had assumed, that he had no designof coming down, so long as the hunter remained at the bottom of thetree; nor did the latter desire him to do so. On the contrary, hestruck the tree with a stick, and made several other demonstrations, with the design to hinder the bear from attempting a descent. But theanimal did not even meditate such a thing. Though the palm was not oneof the highest, it was tall enough to keep him out of the reach of anyweapon the hunter could lay hands upon; and the bear, seeminglyconscious of this fact, kept his perch with a confident air--that showedhe had no intention of changing his secure position. 

Alexis now began to reflect about what he should do. If he could makethe others hear him, that would answer every purpose. Of course theywould come up, bringing with them their guns. This was the mostpromising plan; and Alexis hastened to put it into execution, byhallooing at the top of his voice. But, after he had shouted for nearlyten minutes, and waited for ten more, no response was given; nor did anyone make an appearance upon the ground. 

Once more Alexis raised his voice, and shouted till the woods rang withechoes. But these echoes were all the reply he could get to his calls. 

It was evident he had unconsciously strayed far from the camp, and quiteout of earshot of his companions!

What was to be done? If he should go back to the others, to bring themand also his gun, the bear would in all probability seize theopportunity to descend from the tree and take himself off. In that casehe would most certainly escape: since there would be no chance oftracking him through such a wood. On the other hand, Alexis need notremain where he was. He might stay there till doomsday, before Bruinwould condescend to come down; and even should he do so, what chancewould there be of effecting his capture?

While reflecting thus, a happy idea occurred to the young hunter; and hewas seen all at once to step a pace or two back, and place himselfbehind the broad leaves of a wild _pisang_, where he was hidden from theeyes of the bear. 

As the morning was a little raw he had his cloak around him; and this heinstantly stripped off. He had already in his hands the stout longstick--with which he had been hammering upon the palm--and this he nowsharpened at one end with his knife. On the other end he placed hiscap, and beneath it his cloak, folding the latter around the stick, andtying it on in such a fashion as to make of it a rude representation ofthe human form. 

When he had got the "dummy" rigged out to his satisfaction, he reachedcautiously forward--still keeping the fronds of the pisang betweenhimself and the bear. In this position, he held the "scarecrow" out atthe full length of his arm; and, giving the stick a punch, set it erectin the ground. The bruang, from his elevated perch on the tree, couldnot fail to see the object--though the hunter himself was stillconcealed by the huge leaves that drooped over his head. Alexis, nowcautiously, and without making the slightest noise, stole away from thespot. When he believed himself well out of hearing of the bear, hequickened his pace, and retraced his steps to the camp. 

It was but the work of a minute for all hands to arm themselves and setout; and in ten minutes' time they arrived at the bottom of the_arenga_, and had the gratification of finding that the _ruse_ of Alexishad proved successful. 

The bruang was still crouching upon the crown of the palm; but he didnot stay there much longer, for a volley fired at his white breasttoppled him over from his perch; and he fell to the bottom of the treeas dead as a stone. 

The Dyak was rather chagrined that he had not himself discovered thegame; but, on ascertaining that he would receive the promised bounty allthe same, he soon got the better of his regrets. 

Our hunters being on the ground, were determined to make a day of it;and after breakfast continued their hunt--which resulted in theirfinding and killing, not only another _bruang_, but a _rimau dahan_, or"clouded tiger" (_felis macrocelus_): the most beautiful of all felineanimals, and whose skin they intended should be one of the trophies tobe mounted in the museum of the palace Grodonoff. 

This hunt ended their adventures in the Oriental Archipelago; and fromSambos they proceeded direct through the straits of Malacca, and up theBay of Bengal to the great city of Calcutta. 

CHAPTER FIFTY NINE. 

THE SLOTH BEAR. 

_En route_ for the grand mountains of Imaus--the stupendous chain of theHimalayas!

There our hunters expected to find no less than three species of bears--each distinct from the others in outline of form, in aspect, in certainhabits, and even in _habitat_; for although all three exist in theHimalayas, each has its own zone of altitude, in which it ranges almostexclusively. These three bears are, the "sloth bear" (_ursus labatus_), the "Thibet bear" (_ursus thibetanus_), and the "snow bear" (_ursusisabellinus_). 

The first-mentioned is the one which has received most notice--both fromnaturalists and travellers. It is that species which by certainwiseacres of the closet school was for a long time regarded as a sloth(_bradypus_). In redeeming it from this character, other systematistswere not content to leave it where it really belongs--in the genus_ursus_--but must, forsooth, create a new one for its specialaccommodation; and it now figures in zoological catalogues as a_prochilus_--the _prochilus labiatus_! We shall reject this absurdtitle, and call it by its real one--_ursus labiatus_, which, literallytranslated, would mean the "lipped bear"--not a very specificappellation neither. The name has been given in reference to a peculiarcharacteristic of the animal--that is, its power of protruding orextending the lips to seize its food--in which peculiarity it resemblesthe tapir, giraffe, and some other animals. Its trivial name of "slothbear" is more expressive: for certainly its peculiar aspect--caused bythe long shaggy masses of hair which cover its neck and body--gives it avery striking resemblance to the sloth. Its long crescent-shaped clawsstrengthen this resemblance. A less distinctive name is that by whichit is known to the French naturalists, "ours de jongleurs, " or"juggler's bear. " Its grotesque appearance makes it a great favouritewith the Indian mountebanks; but, as many other species are also trainedto dancing and monkey-tricks, the name is not characteristic. 

This bear is not quite so large as the _ursus arctos_; thoughindividuals are sometimes met with approaching the bulk of the latter. The fur is longer and "shaggier" than in any other species--being uponthe back of the neck full twelve inches in length. In this mass of longhair there is a curious line of separation running transversely acrossthe back of the neck. The front division falls forward over the crown, so as to overhang the eyes--thus imparting to the physiognomy of theanimal a heavy, stupid appearance. The other portion flaps back, forming a thick mane or hunch upon the shoulders. In old individualsthe hair becomes greatly elongated; and hanging down almost to theground on both flanks, and along the neck, imparts to the animal thestrange appearance of being without legs!

The general colour of the coat is black, with here and there a dash ofbrown over it. Upon the breast there is a white list of a triangularshape; and the muzzle is also a dirty yellowish white. There is nodanger of mistaking this species for any other of the black Asiaticbears, or even any black bears. The long shaggy hair, hanging loosely, presents an appearance altogether different from the uniform brush-likesurface, which characterises the coats of _ursus malayanus, euryspilus, americanus, ornatus_, and _frugilegus_. 

Perhaps the most peculiar characteristic of the sloth bear is thecapability it possesses of protruding the lips, which it can do to alength of several inches from its jaws--shooting them out in the form ofa tube, evidently designed for suction. This, together with the longextensile tongue--which is flat shaped and square at the extremity--shows a peculiar design, answering to the habits of the animal. Nodoubt the extraordinary development of tongue is given to it for thesame purpose as to the _edentata_ of the ant-eating tribe--to enable itto "lick up" the _termites_. 

Its great curved claws, which bear a very striking resemblance to thoseof the ant-eaters--especially the large _tamanoir_ of South America--areused for the same purpose: that of breaking up the glutinous compostwith which the termites construct their curious dwellings. 

These insects constitute a portion of the sloth bear's "commissariat ofsubsistence;" but he will also eat fruits, and sweet succulentvegetables; and, it is scarce necessary to add, that he is "wild after"honey, and a regular robber of bee-hives. 

Notwithstanding the comic _role_, which he is often taught to play inthe hands of the jugglers, he not unfrequently enacts a little bit oftragedy. This occurs when in his wild or natural state. He is notdisposed wantonly to make an attack upon human beings; and if leftunmolested, he will go his way; but, when wounded or otherwise provoked, he can show fight to about the same degree as the black bear of America. The natives of India hold him in dread: but chiefly on account of thedamage he occasions to their crops--especially to the plantations ofsugar-cane. 

We have stated that the sloth bear is not exclusively confined to theHimalayas. On the contrary, these mountains are only the northern limitof his range--which extends over the whole peninsula of Hindostan, andeven beyond it, to the island of Ceylon. He is common in the Deccan, the country of the Mahrattas, Sylhet, and most probably throughoutTransgangetic India. In the mountains that bound the province of Bengalto the east and west, and also along the foot-hills of the Himalayas ofNepaul on its north, the sloth bear is the most common representative ofthe Bruin family; but up into the higher ranges he does not extend hiswanderings. His _habitat_ proves that he affects a hot, rather than acold climate--notwithstanding the great length of the fur upon his coat. 

One peculiarity remains to be mentioned. Instead of hiding himself awayin solitudes, remote from human habitations, he rather seeks the societyof man: not that he is fond of the latter; but simply that he may availhimself of the results of human industry. For this purpose he alwaysseeks his haunt near to some settlement--whence he may conveniently makehis depredations upon the crops. He is not, strictly speaking, a forestanimal. The low jungle is his abode; and his lair is a hole under someoverhanging bank--either a natural cavity, or one which has beenhollowed out by some burrowing animal. 

Knowing that the sloth bear might be met with in any part of thecountry, to the northward of Calcutta, our hunters determined to keep alookout for him while on their way to the Himalayas--which mountainsthey intended ascending, either through the little state of Sikkim, orthe kingdom of Nepaul. 

Their route from Calcutta to the hills lay a little to the west ofnorth; and at many places on their journey they not only heard of thesloth bear, but were witnesses of the ravages which this destructivecreature had committed on the crops of the farmers. 

There were sugar plantations, on which they saw tall wooden towersraised in the middle of the field, and carried to a considerable heightabove the surrounding vegetation. On inquiring the purpose of thesesingular structures, they were informed that they were intended aswatch-towers; and that, during the season, when the crops wereapproaching to ripeness, _videttes_ were stationed upon these towers, both by night and by day, to keep a lookout for the bears, and frightenthem off whenever these plunderers made their appearance within theboundaries of the fields!

Notwithstanding the many evidences of the sloth bear's presence met withthroughout the province of Bengal, our hunters failed in falling in withthis grotesque gentleman, till they were close up to the foot of theHimalaya mountains, in that peculiar district known as the _Terai_. This is a belt of jungle and forest land--of an average width of abouttwenty miles, and stretching along the southern base of the Himalayarange throughout its whole length, from Afghanistan to China. In allplaces the Terai is of so unhealthy a character, that it can scarcely besaid to be inhabited--its only human denizens being a few sparse tribesof native people (Mechs); who, acclimated to its miasmatic atmosphere, have nothing to fear from it. Woe to the European who makes anylengthened sojourn in the Terai! He who does will there find his grave. 

For all its unhealthiness, it is the favourite haunt of many of thelargest quadrupeds: the elephant, the huge Indian rhinoceros, the lionand tiger, the jungly ghau or wild ox, the sambur stag, panthers, leopards, and cheetahs. The sloth bear roams through its thickets andglades--where his favourite food, the white ants, abounds; and it wasupon reaching this district that our hunters more particularly bentthemselves to search for a specimen of this uncouth creature. 

Fortunately they were not long till they found one--else the climate ofthe Terai would soon have so enfeebled them, that they might never havebeen able to climb the stupendous mountains beyond. Almost uponentering within the confines of this deadly wilderness, they encounteredthe sloth bear; and although the interview was purely accidental, itended in Bruin being deprived of his life and his long-haired robe. 

The sloth bear did not submit tamely to this double robbery, for he washimself the assailant--having been the first to cry "stand and deliver!"Nor was his conquest accomplished without a perilous struggle--thatcame very near reducing the number of our heroes from odd to even. Butwe shall give the account of the affair, as we find it detailed in thejournal of Alexis. 

CHAPTER SIXTY. 

BRUIN TAKEN BY THE TONGUE. 

The travellers had halted for lunch, and tied their horses to the trees. While Pouchskin was spreading out the comestibles, and Alexis engagedin noting down in his journal the events of the day, Ivan--attracted bya beautiful bird--had taken up his fowling-piece, and followed the birdthrough the jungle--in hopes of getting a shot at it. We go along withIvan, for it was he who started the "mountebank" bear, that came nearmounting him on the moment of their meeting it. 

Ivan was walking cautiously along a bank, that rose to about the heightof his head; but which in places was undermined, as if by the action ofrunning water--though there was no water to be seen. The ground, however, upon which he trod was covered with pebbles and coarse gravel--showing that at some period water must have flowed over it; and, indeed, it was evidently the bed of a stream that had been full during the rainyseason, but was now completely dried up. 

Ivan was not thinking of this; but of the beautiful bird which wasflitting about among the trees--still keeping out of the range of hisgun. He was in a bent attitude, crouching along under the bank--whichhe was using as a cover, to enable him to approach the tantalising game. 

All at once, a singular noise fell upon his ear. It was a sort ofmonotonous purring, like that made by a spinning-machine, or a verylarge tom-cat; and like the latter, it was prolonged and continuous. The sound was not exactly pleasant to Ivan's ear, for it denoted theproximity of some animal; and, although it was not loud, there wassomething about the tone that told him the animal giving utterance to itwas a creature to be feared. In fact, it fell upon Ivan's ear in thecharacter of a warning; and caused him to desist from his pursuit of thebird, come suddenly to a stand, and listen with great attention. 

For some moments he was unable to make out whence the sound proceeded. It seemed to fill the space all around him--as if it came out of the airitself--for the purring sound kept the atmosphere constantly vibrating;and, as there was no definite concussion, it was all the more difficultto trace it to its source. 

The thought that had entered into Ivan's mind was that it might be thepurring of a tiger he heard; and yet it seemed scarcely so harsh asthat--for he knew the peculiar rattle which frequently proceeds from thethorax of the royal Bengalese cat. 

He quickly reflected, however, that whether it was tiger or not, itwould neither be safe for him to raise an alarm, nor start to rush backto the bivouac--though this was not twenty yards from the spot. Bymaking an attempt to retreat, he might draw the animal after him, orstumble upon it--not knowing its direction. It was to ascertain itswhereabouts that he had stopped and stood listening. That once known, he might keep his place, or lake to flight--as circumstances shoulddictate. 

Nearly a minute remained he in this irresolute attitude--looking aroundon every side, and over the bank into the contiguous jungle; but hecould see no living thing of any kind--for even the bird had long sincetaken its departure from the place. Still the purring continued; andonce or twice the sound increased in volume--till it almost assumed thecharacter of a "growl. "

All at once, however, it came to an end; and was succeeded by a quicksharp "sniff, " several times repeated. This was a more definite sound;and guided Ivan's eyes in a direction in which he had not before thoughtof looking. He had hitherto been reconnoitring around him and _over_the bank. He had not thought of looking _under_ it. 

In this direction were his eyes now turned; and, stooping his body, hepeered into the dark subterraneous excavation which the water had causedin the alluvial earth. There, to his surprise, he beheld the author ofthe baritone performance that had been puzzling him. 

At first he saw only a countenance of a dirty-whitish colour, with apair of ugly glancing eyes; but, in looking more attentively, thiscountenance was seen to protrude out of an immense surrounding of blackshaggy hair, which could be the covering of no other animal than abear--and a sloth bear at that?

On making this discovery, Ivan did not know whether to be merry or sad. He would have been glad enough, had he seen the bear at a distance; but, situated as he was--with the great brute near enough to reach him at asingle spring, --in fact, almost between his legs--he had little cause tocongratulate himself upon the "find. " Nor did he. On the contrary, hewas seized with a quick perception of danger, and only thought of makinghis escape. He would have turned upon the instant and fled; but itoccurred to him, that by doing so he would draw the bear after him; andhe knew that, notwithstanding the uncouth shuffle which a bear makes inrunning, --and the sloth bear is the greatest "shuffler" of the family, --he can still go too fast for a man. Should he turn his face, the bearmight spring upon his back, and thus have him at his mercy. 

Instead of facing away, therefore, Ivan kept his front to the bank; andwith his eyes fixed upon the animal, commenced gliding backward, slowlybut silently. At the same time he had cautiously raised his gun to thelevel--with no intention, however, of firing, but merely to be ready incase the bear should become the assailant. Otherwise, Ivan wasperfectly agreeable to making it a "draw" between them. 

Bruin, however, had no idea of thus giving up the game; for the fiercegrowl which just at that moment escaped him, signified anything butassent. On the contrary, it was the prelude to the play; and declaredhis intention of beginning it. Almost simultaneous with the growl, hewas seen starting to his feet; and before Ivan could pull trigger, oreven raise his gun to a proper elevation, a huge mass of black shaggyhair, like a bundle of sooty rags, came whisking through the airdirectly towards him. Men talk of the sudden spring of the tiger, andthe quick, rushing charge of the lion; but strange as it may seem, neither one nor other of these animals can charge forward on theirintended victim with more celerity than a bear--clumsy and uncouth asBruin may appear. His capacity of raising himself erect gives him thisadvantage; and from his great plantigrade posterior paws, combined withhis powerful muscular legs, he can pitch forward with a velocitysurprising as it is unexpected. This the regular bear-hunter wellknows; and the knowledge renders him cautious about coming too close toa _couchant_ bear. Ivan himself knew it; and it was for this veryreason he was endeavouring to widen the distance between himself andBruin, before he should turn to run. 

Unfortunately he had not succeeded in gaining sufficient ground. He wasstill within charging distance of the animal as it rose to its feet; butanother step backward as the bear launched forth, carried him clear ofthe spring; and Bruin leaped short. In another instant, however, heerected himself, and again sprang forward; but this time the impetusgiven to his body was not so great; and, although he succeeded inclosing with the young hunter, the latter was enabled to keep his feetand grapple with him in an erect attitude. Had he fallen to the ground, the bear would have made short work with him. 

Ivan had dropped his gun: for, not having time to raise it or take aim, the weapon was of no use. His hands were therefore free; and as thebear pitched up against him, he stretched out his arms, grasped the longhair that hung over the frontlet of the animal, and with all his mightheld back the monster's head with his threatening jaws. 

The bear had thrown both his paws around the body of the young hunter;but a broad thick belt which the latter chanced to have on, protectedhis skin from the animal's claws. So long as he could hold back thatopen mouth, with its double rows of white sharp teeth, he had not somuch to fear; but his strength could not last long against such apowerful wrestler. His only hope was that the cries which he wasraising would bring the others to his assistance; and of this he had nodoubt: as he already heard both Pouchskin and Alexis hurrying up towardsthe spot. 

It was a perilous moment. The extended jaws of the bear were withintwelve inches of the young hunter's face; he could feel the hot breathsteaming against his cheeks, and the long extensile tongue almosttouched his forehead, vibrating about in rapid sweeps, as if the animalby that means hoped to bring his head within reach!

The struggle was not protracted. It lasted till Alexis and Pouchskincame upon the ground; but not six seconds longer. The first thing thatPouchskin did was to grasp the protruding tongue of the bear in his lefthand--making a half curl of it round his fingers--while with his righthe plunged his long knife right between the ribs of the animal. Alexis, on the other side, dealt a blow in similar fashion; and, before eitherof them could draw his blade out of its hair-covered sheath, the hugemountebank relaxed his hold, and rolled over among the pebbles. There, after a few grotesque contortions his limbs lay extended and motionless, making it evident beyond a doubt, that _his_ "dancing days were over. "

CHAPTER SIXTY ONE. 

AN EXTRA SKIN. 

Our hunters did not remain at their bivouac longer than was absolutelynecessary to swallow a hasty meal. They had been warned of thedangerous climate of the _Terai_, and hurrying on through it, reachedthe more elevated hill region before night. Journeying on, they enteredthe kingdom of Nepaul, among whose hills they expected to find theThibet bear (_ursus thibetanus_). This animal has been usually regardedas a mere variety of the _ursus arctos_; but without the slightestreason. It is an animal of more gentle habits, and exclusively avegetarian in its diet: in colour it is black, but having a white markon its breast shaped like a Y, the branches of the letter coming up infront of its shoulders, while the limb extends between the fore legs andhalfway along the belly. The claws of the animal are small and weak;and its profile forms almost a straight line, thus essentially differingfrom the _ursus arctos_. It is also a much smaller animal--rarelyattaining to more than half the size of the latter species, and scarcebigger than the _ursus malayanus_, to which it bears a far greaterresemblance. It is found in the mountains of Sylhet, and throughoutthat portion of the Himalayas enclosed within the great bend of theBrahmapootra, in Thibet, whence it derives its specific appellation. Itis equally an inhabitant of the hill-country of Nepaul; and there ourhunters proceeded in search of their specimen. By the help of a"Ghoorka" guide, which they had hired, they were not long in findingone; but as there was no curious or particular incident connected withits capture, the journal of Alexis is silent upon the affair: it is onlyrecorded that the animal was started from a thicket of _rhododendron_bushes, and shot down while endeavouring to make its escape. 

Having settled their business with the Thibet bear, our hunters mighthave also procured another species within the territory of Nepaul--thatis, the brown, or Isabella bear (_ursus isabellinus_). This they couldhave found by ascending to the higher ranges of the great snowymountains that overlook Nepaul; but as they knew they should alsoencounter this species near the sources of the Ganges, and as they weredesirous of visiting that remarkable locality, they continued onwestward through Nepaul and Delhi, arriving at the health station ofMussoorie, in the beautiful valley of the Dehra Doon. 

After resting here for some days, they proceeded to ascend themountains, the lower and middle zone of which they found covered withforests of magnificent oaks, of several distinct species. 

In these oak-forests, greatly to the surprise of Alexis, they heard ofthe existence of a large black bear, altogether different from the_ursus thibetanus_, and equally so from the _ursus isabellinus_--adistinct species, in fact, which, though well-known to Anglo-Indianhunters, appears to have escaped the attention of naturalists. 

They ascertained, moreover, that he was far from being a scarce animal, or an insignificant member of the Bruin family; in point of size, formidable strength, and ferocity of disposition, being only inferior to_ursus ferox_ and _maritimus_, and in all these qualities quite a matchfor the _ursus arctos_. Of his fierce nature, and the capability to domischief, our travellers had evidence in almost every village throughwhich they passed. Numerous instances were brought before their noticeof men who had been scratched and torn by these black bears, and somemost fearfully mutilated. They saw men with their whole skin strippedfrom their skulls and faces; their features presenting a most hideousaspect. 

This singular habit of inflicting punishment on their human enemyappears to be common to the whole bear tribe--I mean, the habit ofscalping their victims, and endeavouring to disfigure the face. Notonly do both the black and brown bears of the Himalayas follow thishabit, but also the _ursus arctos_, the grizzly, and the white. Theyalways aim at the head, but more especially the face; and with a single"rake" of their spread claws, usually strip off both skin and flesh. 

Having accomplished this, a bear will often desist from furtherill-treatment of his victims; and if the latter will but lie still andfeign dead, the monster will give up mauling him, and shamble off fromthe ground, apparently satisfied with having taken the scalp. 

This savage habit on the part of the bears our young hunters had longsince noted; and that the black bear of the Himalayas followed thefashion of his kindred, they had now ample evidence. 

In his other habits--which they learnt from the shikkaries, or villagehunters--this bear strongly resembles the _ursus arctos_ of NorthernEurope. On ordinary occasions his food consists of fruits, roots, andinsects of _every_ kind he can catch--even scorpions and beetles--andwhere the primeval forest does not afford him full rations, he willenter the cultivated grounds and make havoc among the crops. Strangeenough, he does not meddle with the wheat; though he will ravage thefields of buckwheat and barley! At night he enters the gardenscontiguous to the houses, and plunders them of all kinds of fruits andvegetables. He even approaches still nearer--abstracting their honeyfrom the tame bees--the hives of which, according to a curious custom ofthe hill people, are set in little indentations in the walls of theirdwelling-houses. 

The black bear occasionally cools his chops by munching melons andcucumbers; but he is particularly fond of a dessert of apricots--whichis the most common fruit cultivated throughout the middle ranges of theHimalayas. The bear enters the apricot orchard at night; and climbingthe trees, will make more havoc in a single visit than a score ofschoolboys. In all the orchards, elevated crows' nests or sentry boxesare set up, specially intended for watching the bears; and at thisseason many of them are killed in the act of robbing. 

The Himalayan black bear will eat flesh--either fresh or putrid--andwhen once he has got into this habit he never forsakes it, but remains acarnivorous creature for the rest of his life. He will attack the goatsand sheep on the mountain pastures; and will even make inroads to thevillage enclosures, and destroy the animals in their very sheds! When aflock of sheep falls in his way, unless he is driven off by theshepherds, he does not content himself by killing only one, butsometimes converts a score of them into mutton. 

Those bears, however, that exhibit an extreme carnivorous propensity, are certain to bring about their own destruction: as the attention ofthe villagers being drawn upon them, snares and baited traps are seteverywhere, and they are also followed by the Shikkaries armed withtheir matchlock guns. 

These bears often attain to an immense size--in this respect nearlyequalling the _ursus arctos_, of which they cannot, however, be supposedto be a variety. Eight feet is the usual length of a full-grownspecimen; and, when in a good condition, it requires a whole crowd ofmen to raise the carcass of one of them from the ground. 

Autumn is their season of greatest fatness; and especially when theacorns are getting ripe, but previous to their falling from the tree. Then the black bears are met with in the greatest numbers, coming fromall parts into the oak-forests, and climbing the trees to procure theirfavourite food. They do not nibble off the acorns one by one; but firstbreak the branches which are loaded, and carry them all into one place--generally into some fork--where, seated like squirrels, on their greathams, they can discuss the meal at their leisure. In passing throughthese oak-forests, large piles of branches may be seen thus collectedtogether on the tops of the trees--resembling the nests of rooks ormagpies--which have been brought together by the bears for the purposeabove stated. 

When the forest lies in a district, where these bears are much hunted, they usually retire by day; and conceal themselves in theirhiding-places in the thickets; but even in such forests the animals maybe seen prowling about before sunset, and long after daylight in themorning. 

In the higher hills and forests of the _khurso_ oak, remote from thevillages, they do not even take the precaution to hide themselves, butremain all day "acorn-gathering" among the trees. It is at this seasonthat they can be hunted with most success: since the hunter is under nonecessity of tracking them, but can find his great game by simplywalking quietly through the woods, and keeping a lookout overhead, justas if he were searching for squirrels. 

It chanced to be the months of October when our hunters arrived at thispart of the Himalayas; and having reached the region of the largeroak-forests, they commenced their search accordingly. They wereextremely desirous of success; knowing how much their father would begratified at obtaining the skin of this black bear, which being anundescribed variety, might be considered an "extra" one. 

CHAPTER SIXTY TWO. 

AN UNHAPPY HORSE. 

Our young hunters commenced their search in a forest of _khurso_ oaks, which, interspersed with cedars and other trees, covered a highround-topped ridge, that rose above the little village where they hadmade their headquarters. 

On reaching the flat summit of the ridge, they found they could managebetter without their horses: as seated in the saddle they could not sowell reconnoitre the tops of the trees, where they expected to see theirgame. They dismounted, therefore, and leaving their animals tied to thebranches of a large spreading cedar-tree (the _deodor_), they proceededonward on foot. 

On this day the luck seemed to be against them; for although they metwith plenty of "sign"--where the bears had broken the branches of theoaks--and also saw numbers of freshly-made "rooks' nests, " they couldnot get their eyes upon Bruin himself, who had left these tokens of hispresence. It might be that this forest was frequently hunted by thenative Shikkaries; and that would account for the absence of the bearsduring the day-time. They had gone, no doubt, to their hiding-places. 

This was the conclusion at which our hunters arrived--after trampingabout until they were tired; and not having met with a single bear. 

It was now the hour of noon; and, as they had been told that the eveningwould be the likelier time to find Bruin upon the prowl, they resolvedreturning to where they had left their horses, and remaining there untilevening should arrive. They had grown hungry; and, having walked manymiles, were pretty well done up. A bit of dinner, and a few hours' restunder the great cedar, would recruit their strength; and enable them totake the field again before sunset with a better prospect of success. 

Following their backtrack through the forest, therefore, they proceededtowards the place where they had left their horses. 

Before coming in sight of these animals, they were admonished of theirproximity by hearing them neighing at short intervals; but, whatsurprised them still more, they heard a constant pounding--as if thehorses were striking the ground repeatedly and continuously with theirhoofs!

Arriving within view of them, their astonishment was not diminished, onperceiving that the three horses were rearing and dancing over theground, as if endeavouring to break loose from their fastenings! Eachhad been tied to a separate branch of the tree--their bridles beingsimply noosed over the twigs at the extremities of the branches; andallowing them to play to the full length of the rein. Consequently, thethree horses were many yards apart from each other; but all were equallyin motion--all neighing and pitching about, as if something had set themmad!

Could it be horse-flies? thought the hunters. They knew there was aspecies of horse-fly in the Himalayas--greatly dreaded by all animals, and even by man himself. They knew this: for they had already sufferedfrom its persecuting bite. But this was in the lower valleys; and itwas not likely it should be found at the elevation of this _khurso_forests--quite 10, 000 feet above sea level. 

Perhaps bees? There might be a nest of wild bees somewhere near--whynot in the cedar itself--and if so, the horses might be attacked bythem? That would account for the capers they were cutting!

They had almost settled it in their mind that this was the trueexplanation; when an object came before their eyes that gave a verydifferent solution to the mystery. 

One of the horses appeared more frightened than the other two--at leasthe was squealing and curveting in a much more violent manner. As hedanced around, his eyes appeared to be directed upwards--the greateye-balls sparkling, and protruded as if about to start from theirsockets. This guided the glances of the hunters; and, looking among thebranches of the cedar, they now perceived a large black mass, of anoblong shape--extended along one of the lower limbs, and just over thespot where the horse was tied. 

They had hardly time to make out the shape of this dark object, andbecome convinced that it was the body of a bear, when the huge creaturewas seen to launch itself down from the limb; and then drop like a cat, all-fours, upon the back of the horse!

The latter uttered a scream of affright; and as if terror had added tohis strength, he now succeeded in breaking the branch--around which therein was looped--and bounded off through the forest, the bear stillsquatted upon his back!

The trees that stood around were nearly all of slender growth; but, astheir stems grew thickly together, the horse, with his strange rider, could make but slow way among them; and every now and then the former, half blind with affright, dashed his sides against the trunks, causingthem to crackle and shiver at each concussion. 

All at once the horse was seen coming to a halt, as if brought up by thepower of a Mameluke bit! The spectators saw this with wondering eyes--enable for the moment to explain it. As they were very near the spotwhere the halt had been made, they soon perceived the nature of theinterruption. The bear had thrown one of his great forearms around atree; while, with the other, he still clutched the horse, holding himfast! The design of Bruin was perfectly clear: he had seized the treein order to bring the steed to a stand!

In this for a time he was successful. With one arm he was enabled toretain the tree in his powerful hug; while with the other he held thehorse--his huge paw, with its retentive claws, being firmly fixed underthe pommel of the saddle. 

A singular struggle now ensued, which lasted for some seconds of time;the horse making the meet energetic efforts to escape; while the bearwas equally eager in endeavouring to retain him. 

Lucky was it for the steed that his master was not more particular aboutthe girth of his saddle, and that either the strap or buckle was a badone. Whichever of the two it was, one of them gave way; and the horse, thus freed, was not slow to profit by the fortunate accident. Utteringa neigh of joy, he sprang onward--leaving both bear and saddle behindhim. 

So far as the horse was concerned, his danger was over. Not so with thebear, whose troubles were just now to begin. While holding the horse inhis muscular arm--and clutching the pine with the other--the tree hadgot bent until its top almost touched the saddle. When the girth broke, therefore, the elastic sapling sprang back like a piece of whalebone;and with such an impetus as not only to shake Bruin from his hold, butto pitch him several yards to the opposite side--where he lay stunned, or at all events so astonished, as, for a moment, to appear as if he hadtaken leave of his life!

This moment of the bear's embarrassment was not lost upon the hunters, who ran rapidly up--till within ten paces of the prostrate animal--anddischarging their guns into his body, prevented him from ever againgetting to his feet. His hide was the only part of him that afterwardsattained the erect attitude; and that was when it was mounted in themuseum of the Palace Grodonoff. 

CHAPTER SIXTY THREE. 

THE SNOW BEAR. 

Higher up the Himalayas dwells the "snow bear. " This species hasreceived from naturalists the very fanciful appellation of the "Isabellabear" (_ursus isabellinus_)--a title suggested by its colour being thatknown as "Isabella colour, "--the type of which was the very dirty gownworn by Queen Isabella at the siege of Grenada. It is doubtful whetherany living man could exactly tell what is an Isabella colour; and theuse of such a phrase in describing the hue of an animal's skin isaltogether indefinite and, to say the least, absurd. 

The "Isabella bears, " moreover, are not always of the so called Isabellacolour. On the contrary, there are some of dark-brown, some of a hoarybrown, and others nearly white; and to Himalayan hunters they are knownby the various appellations of brown, red, yellow, white, grey, silver, and snow, stowing the numerous varieties of colour met with in thespecies. Some of these varieties are to be attributed to the differentseasons of the year, and the age of the animal. 

Of all these designations, that of "snow bear" appears the mostcharacteristic, since it avoids the risk of a confusion of names--theother titles being equally bestowed upon certain varieties of the _ursusamericanus_ and _ursus ferox_. It is also appropriate to the Himalayananimal: since his favourite haunt is along the line of perpetual snow;or in the grassy treeless tracts that intervene between the snow-lineand the forest-covered declivities--to which they descend only atparticular times of the year. 

In identifying this species, but little reliance can be placed oncolour. In spring their fur is long and shaggy--of various shades ofyellowish brown, sometimes reddish-brown, and not unfrequently of a greyor silvery hue. In summer this long yellowish fur falls off; and isreplaced by a shorter and darker coat, which gradually grows longer andlighter as the winter approaches. The females are a shadelighter-coloured than the males; and the cubs have a broad circle ofwhite around the neck, which gradually disappears as they grow to theirfull size. 

The snow bear _hybernates_, hiding himself away in a cave; and he isonly seen abroad when the spring sun begins to melt the snow upon thegrass-covered tracts near the borders of the forest. On these he may befound throughout the summer--feeding upon grass and roots, with suchreptiles and insects as come in his way. In the autumn he enters theforests in search of berries and nuts, and at this season--like hiscongener, the black bear--he even extends his depredations to thecultivated grounds and gardens of the villagers, in search of fruit andgrain, buckwheat being a favourite food with him. 

Though naturally a vegetarian in his diet, he will eat flesh-meat uponoccasions; and frequently makes havoc among the flocks of sheep andgoats, that in summer are taken up to pasture on the grassy tracts abovementioned. While thus engaged, he does not regard the presence of man;but will attack the shepherds who may attempt to drive him off. 

Among the many strange items that compose the larder of the snow bear, grubs and scorpions have a prominent place. He spends much of his timein searching for these--scratching them out of their holes, and turningover stones to get at them. Great boulders of rock, that a man couldnot move, he will roll over with his muscular arms; and large tracts ofground may be seen with the stones thus displaced. 

It was while engaged in this curious occupation, that our hunters cameupon one of the snow bears; which they succeeded in killing. He was notthe first they had encountered: they had started several, and woundedtwo; but both had got off from them. This one, however, fell to their"bag, " and in rather an unexpected fashion. 

They were working their toilsome way up a narrow ravine--which, althoughthe season was autumn, was still filled with snow, that lay in thebottom of the gorge to a great depth. It was snow that had lain all theyear; and although not frozen, the surface was firm and stiff; and itwas with difficulty they could get support for their feet on it. Hereand there they were compelled to stop and cut steps in the snow--as thesurface sloped upward at an angle of full 50 degrees, and, in fact, theywere rather climbing than walking. Their object, in undertaking thistoilsome ascent, was simply because they had seen a bear going up thesame way but a few minutes before; and the scratches of his claws werevisible on the snow just before their faces. 

Making as little noise as possible, they kept onward; and at lengthreached the head of the gorge. On peeping cautiously over, they saw alittle table-like tract of level ground, several acres in extent. Itwas quite clear of snow; and covered with green herbage. A number oflarge boulder stones lay scattered over it--which had evidently rolleddown from the mountain-side that rose still higher above the table. 

But the sight that most gratified them was the bear himself--no doubt, the same they had seen going up the ravine. They now discovered himupon the level ground, not twenty yards from the spot where they stood. In a strange attitude they saw him--grasping between his fore paws ahuge boulder stone, almost as large as his own body, and evidently inthe act of rolling it out of its bed!

They were the less astonished at what they saw: for, being alreadyacquainted with this singular habit of the snow bear, they knew what hewas about. They did not stay, therefore, to watch his herculeanlabours; but all three, levelling their guns, pulled triggersimultaneously. The bullets--some of them, at least--evidently struckthe bear; but, although, he dropped the great boulder--which at oncefell back into its place--he did not himself drop. On the contrary, heturned suddenly round; and, giving utterance to a savage growl, rusheddirect towards the hunters. 

The latter, not having time to reload, had no choice but to run for it. There was no other way of escape open to them, except by the gorge upwhich they had come; as, to attempt ascending to the level ground wouldhave brought them face to face with the bear. They turned, therefore;and commenced retreating down the ravine. 

But now came the difficulty. They had not made three strides, beforeperceiving that they could not keep their feet upon the hard slopingsurface of the snow. They had no time to cut fresh steps, nor pick outtheir old ones: as by doing either they would go too slowly, while thebear could scramble down the snow as rapidly as on bare ground. Therewas no alternative, therefore, but to fling themselves on theirposteriors, and slide down the slope. 

Quick as came the thought, all three of them dropped down upon theirhams; and using their guns to prevent them from going with too greatvelocity, they shot downward to the bottom of the ravine. 

On reaching the lower end of the slope, and regaining their feet, theyturned and looked back up the gorge. The bear had arrived at the upperend; and was standing with his fore feet projected over the edge, andresting upon the snow. He appeared to be undecided, as to whether heshould come down after them, or give up the pursuit. He was within easyrange of a bullet; and they bethought them of reloading and giving him afresh volley; when, to their chagrin, they discovered that the barrelsof their guns were filled with snow--which had got into them during thedescent. 

While lamenting this unfortunate accident--in the full belief that theywould now lose the bear--they saw the animal make a strange movement. It was forward, and towards them--as if he had made up his mind tocharge down the slope; but they soon perceived that this could not behis intention: for as he came gliding on, sometimes his head, andsometimes his stern, was foremost; and it was evident that instead ofthe movement being a voluntary act on his part, it was quite thecontrary. The fact was, that the bullets which they had fired into himhad drawn the life's blood out of his veins; and having stood too longon the sloping edge of the snow, he had fallen through feebleness; andwas now tumbling down the ravine, without strength enough to stay hisdescent. 

In another instant he lay stretched almost at the feet of the hunters;for the impetus imparted to his huge carcass in the descent, had broughtit with such a "whack" against a large rock, as to deprive him ofwhatever either of blood or breath there had been left in his body. 

The hunters, however, made sure of this, by drawing their long knives, and making an additional vent or two between his ribs--thus securingthemselves against all risk of his resuscitation. 

They had now finished with the Himalayan bears of known and unknownkinds; but Alexis learnt enough from hunters, whom they had encounteredduring their sojourn in these mountains, to convince him that greatconfusion exists among naturalists as to the different species andvarieties that inhabit the Himalayan range. Of the "snow bear" itself, a variety exists in the mountains of Cashmere; which, as far as Alexiscould learn, was very different from the kind they had killed. TheCashmirian variety is of a deep reddish-brown colour, much longer in themuzzle than the "snow bear, " and also a more dangerous antagonist toman--being a brute of eminently carnivorous propensity and savagedisposition. 

"It is quite probable, " remarks Alexis, in his journal, "that instead ofthree kinds of bears inhabiting the Himalayan range, twice that numberof `species'--or at all events, of permanent varieties--may be foundwithin the extensive area covered by these stupendous mountains. "

CHAPTER SIXTY FOUR. 

THE LAST CHASE. 

Our travellers descended once more to the plains of Hindostan, andcrossed the peninsula by _dak_ to Bombay. From Bombay they sailedthrough the Indian Ocean, and up the Persian Gulf to the port ofBussora, on the Euphrates. Ascending the Tigris branch of this Asiaticriver, they reached the famed city of Bagdad. They were now _en route_for the haunts of the Syrian bear among the snowy summits of MountLebanon. With a Turkish caravan, therefore, they started from Bagdad;and after much toil and many hardships, arrived in the city ofDamascus--the scene of so many troubles and massacres caused by thefanaticism of a false religion. 

With these questions our travellers had nothing to do; nor did they stayany length of time within the walls of the unhappy city. Soon aftertheir arrival in the place, they obtained all the information theyrequired of the whereabouts of the Syrian bear; and their steps were nowdirected towards the snowy summits of Libanus--better known toChristians by its Scriptural name of Mount Lebanon. 

In these mountains the Syrian bear (_ursus syriacus_) is found; and itis only a few years since the animal was discovered there. Everynaturalist had doubted the existence of bears in any part of Syria--asthey now deny that there are any in Africa. Those who acknowledge it, are inclined to regard the Syrian bear as a mere variety of the _ursusarctos_; but this theory is altogether incorrect. In shape, colour, andmany of his habits, the Syrian bear differs essentially from his browncongener; and his dwelling-place--instead of being in forest-coveredtracts--is more generally in open ground or among rocks. In fact, hisrange upon the Syrian mountains is very similar to that of the "snowbear" on the Himalayas--near the line of perpetual snow. 

The colour of the _ursus syriacus_ is a light ash or fulvous brown, often--with a hoary or silvery tinge--but the colour varies at times tolighter and deeper shades. The hair lies close against the skin--inthis respect differing from most of the species, in which the fur standserect or perpendicular to the outlines of the body. This gives theSyrian bear the appearance of being a thinner and smaller animal, thanmany bears of upright fur that are no bigger than he. 

By one characteristic mark he may be easily identified; and that is, byhis having an erect ridge of fur running from his neck along the spineof his back, and looking not unlike the mane of a donkey. But, indeed, the Syrian bear may be easily distinguished from any other member ofthis family; and to regard him as a mere variety of the _ursus arctos_, is only going back to the old system that considers all the bears as oneand the same species. 

The Syrian bear does not inhabit the whole range of the mountains thatpass under the general name of Lebanon. Only on the loftier summits ishe found--particularly on that known as Mount Makmel. This summit iscovered with snow; and it is under the snow-line he usually makes hishaunt. Sometimes, however, he descends to a lower elevation; and in thevillage gardens--just as does the snow bear in the Himalayas--he makessad havoc among fruits and vegetables. He will also kill sheep, goats, and even larger animals, that come in his way; and when provoked willattack the hunter without fear. He is most dreaded in the night: for itis during the darkness he generally makes his plundering expeditions. Both shepherds and hunters have been killed by him--proving that hestill retains the savage character given to him in the Scriptures; whereseveral of his kind--she-bears they were--are represented as having torn"forty and two of the mockers of Elisha. "

He appears to have been equally characterised by a ferocity ofdisposition in the crusading ages--since it is related that the greatleader Godfrey slew one of these bears, whom he found assaulting a poorwoodcutter of Antioch; and the affair was considered a feat of greatprowess, by those eccentric champions of the Cross. 

That the Syrian bear is still as ferocious and savage, as he ever couldhave been, our hunters proved by their own experience: for although theydid not get into the power of one, they would certainly have done so--some one of them at least--had they not been fortunate enough to killthe bear before he could lay his claws upon them. But we shall brieflydescribe the adventure; which was the last our hunters were engaged in--at least, the last we find recorded in the journal of Alexis. 

Bischerre, a little mountain village, situated near the snow-line onMount Makmel, had become their temporary headquarters. Itsneighbourhood was celebrated for the great number of bears that frequentit. These animals descending from the higher ridges surrounding it, frequently enter the gardens of the villagers, and rob them of theirvegetables and chick peas (_cicer arietinus_)--the latter being afavourite food of the Syrian bear. 

From Bischerre the hunters extended their excursions on foot: since thenature of the ground would not admit of their using horses; and they hadsucceeded in getting several good "bear-chases, " and in killing a braceof these animals. Both, however, were very young ones--cubs, in fact--and their skins would not do. A better specimen must be procured. 

This came into their hands in the following manner:--

They had succeeded in tracing a bear up into a rocky ravine--theentrance into which was not over ten or twelve feet in width. Theravine itself was a steep descent leading up to the mountains; and itsbottom, or bed, was covered with a conglomeration of large roundedboulders, that looked as if they had been rolled into this shape bywater. They resembled the round stones sometimes seen in rivers; and nodoubt there was a torrent there at times; but just then the channel wasdry, and not a drop of water appeared anywhere. There was no snoweither; as the place was below the line of snow; and they had onlytraced the bear into it on information given them by some shepherds, whohad seen the animal recently enter it. 

Belying upon this information, they kept up the defile, making their waywith difficulty over the loose pebbles. They had a hope that the bearwas still somewhere within the gorge; and that they might find him insome crevice or cave. On each side rose high cliffs that almost metover head; and our hunters, as they scrambled up the steep, examinedthese cliffs carefully--expecting to perceive the mouth of a cavern. The place was likely enough, for at every few yards they saw crevicesand deep cavities; but in none of them could they find any traces ofBruin. 

They had got about halfway through the ravine--and were still scramblingupward--when a loud sniff drew their attention; and, looking in thedirection whence it appeared to have proceeded, there, sure enough, wasthe identical animal they were after--Master Bruin himself. They sawonly his snout; which was projected out from the face of the cliff, about twenty feet above the bed of the ravine. His whole head wasshortly after poked forth, and seen _en profile_ from below, it lookedas if there was a bear's head glued against the flat surface of therock, just as stags' heads are seen ornamenting the halls of grandcountry mansions. Our hunters, however, knew there must be a cavebehind--in which was the body of the bear, though it was concealed fromtheir eyes. 

The bear, after glancing at the intruders who had disturbed him, drewback his head so suddenly, that not a shot could be fired in time. Thehunters, in order to get into a better position, hurried past under thecave; and took stand several paces above it--where they were able tocommand a better view of the entrance. 

They were now on a level with the hole out of which the head had shownitself; and without speaking a word, only in whispers, they waited forthe reappearance of the snout. 

It was not long before they had the satisfaction of seeing it. Whetherfrom curiosity to know if they were gone--or with the design of sallyingforth in pursuit of them--the bear once more protruded his muzzle fromthe hole. Fearing that he might draw it back again, and not give themanother chance, all three fired, and in such haste that two of themquite missed the object. Only the bullet of Alexis had been properlyaimed; and this was seen striking the bear right in the teeth--severalof which were shot clean out of his jaws!

As the smoke cleared out of their eyes, the great yellow body of thebear was observed out upon the little ledge that projected in front ofthe cave; and uttering loud screams--expressive both of rage and pain--the angry animal bounded down among the boulders. Instead of makingdown the ravine--as our hunters expected--he turned upwards, and rusheddirectly towards them. 

Again there was no alternative but flight; and up the steep gorge theymust go. To make downward would be to run right upon the claws of theinfuriated animal; and upward was the only way left open to them. 

All three started and ran as fast as they were able; and for a whilewere in hopes of distancing their pursuer. But further up, the slopegrew steeper; and the loose stones became more difficult to clamberover. Their breath, too, was by this time quite gone; and all threewere panting like "winded" horses. 

It was impossible for them to go a step farther. 

In despair, they halted; and turned to face the pursuer--all of them atthe same instant drawing their knives; and bracing their bodies for theexpected struggle. The bear, still growling and screaming, came on--making way over the stones much faster than they had done. He wouldhave been certain of overtaking them, had they continued their race: forhe was scarce six paces behind them when they stopped. 

No doubt it would have been a dangerous conflict, had it come off; and, indeed, breathless as they were, they could never have sustained theattack. Of course, they had no time to reload their guns, and did notthink of such a thing. Their determination was to defend themselveswith their knives; and perhaps they might have succeeded in doing so, had there been an occasion. But there was not. 

Before the bear could get up to them, a better idea had flashed acrossthe brain of Pouchskin; which he lost not a moment in carrying intoexecution. Stooping suddenly, and flinging his knife out of his hands, he laid hold of a large boulder--big enough to weigh at least half ahundred--and, raising this to the height of his shoulder, he hurled itdown upon the bear!

The huge stone struck the animal right upon the breast; and what withthe force by which it had been launched from Pouchskin's powerful arm, and the impetus it had gained in its descent, it acted on Bruin like athunderbolt--not only knocking him over on his back, but carrying hisbody along with it full ten paces down the gorge!

When the hunters at length reloaded their guns, and went down to whereBruin lay among the rocks, they found him lying doubled up as dead asmutton!

Having stripped him of his fulvous skin, they returned to Bischerre; andnext day packing up their _impedimenta_, they crossed through the passesof Mount Libanus, and proceeded onward to the shores of theMediterranean Sea. 

Home was now thy word; and right pleasant was the sound of it in theirears. The grand bear-hunt was ended. They had accomplished the taskimposed upon them--having kept every condition of their covenant. 

Of course they expected a grand welcome upon their return; and in thisexpectation they were not disappointed; for many days and nights afterthe baronial halls of the Palace Grodonoff echoed the sounds of mirthand revelry. 

In the museum our young hunters met their old acquaintances, from, allparts of the world. They encountered them standing in differentattitudes--all mounted in the most approved fashion. The Syrian bearwas the only one not among them: as they had themselves brought hisskin--all the others having been sent home by "Parcels Delivery. " In afew days, however, the _ursus syriacus_ was set upon his legs; and thecollection was complete. 

The news of the "Grand Bear-Hunt, " with its curious conditions, soon gotabroad; and travelled all round the social circle of Saint Petersburgh. Figuratively speaking, our young hunters were transformed into animalsthemselves--they became "lions, "--and remained so for that season; buteven at this hour in the _salons_ of the great Russian capital, you mayoften hear introduced, as a favourite topic of conversation--

"The Baron and his Bears. " THE END.