as we
were, and weakened by famine.

"They had reached the cliff in chase of the cimmaron, and hunger and
disappointment were visible in their horrid aspects. Two of them had
already crawled close to the scarp, and were pawing over and snuffing
the air, as if searching for a place to descend. The other three reared
themselves up on their hams, and commenced manoeuvring with their
forearms, in a human-like and comical pantomime!

"We were in no condition to relish this amusement. Every man hastened
to arm himself, those who had emptied their rifles hurriedly re-loading
them.

"`For your life don't!' cried Garey, catching at the gun of one of the
hunters.

"The caution came too late: half-a-dozen bullets were already whistling
upwards.

"The effect was just what the trapper had anticipated. The bears,
maddened by the bullets, which had harmed them no more than the pricking
of as many pins, dropped to their all-fours again, and, with fierce
growls, commenced descending the cliff.

"The scene of confusion was now at its height. Several of the men, less
brave than their comrades, ran off to hide themselves in the snow, while
others commenced climbing the low pine-trees!

"`Cache the gals!' cried Garey. `Hyar, yer darned Spanish greasers! if
yer won't light, hook on to the weemen a wheen o' yer, and toat them to
the snow. Cowardly slinks,--wagh!'

"`See to them, doctor,' I shouted to the German, who, I thought, might
be best spared from the fight; and the next, moment, the doctor,
assisted by several Mexicans, was hurrying the terrified girls towards
the spot where we had left the cimmaron.

"Many of us knew that to hide, under the circumstances, would be worse
than useless. The fierce but sagacious brutes would have discovered, us
one by one, and destroyed, us in detail. `They must, be met and
fought!' that was the word; and we resolved to carry it into execution.

"There were about a dozen of us who `stood up to it'--all the Delaware
and Shawanoes, with Garey and the mountain-men.

"We kept firing at the bears as they ran along the ledges in their
zigzag descent, but our rifles were out of order, our fingers were
numbed with cold, and our nerves weakened with hunger. Our bullets drew
blood from the hideous brutes, yet not a shot proved deadly. It only
stung them into fiercer rage.

"It was a fearful moment when the last shot was fired, and still not an
enemy the less. We flung away the guns, and