r would make a second attempt to spring out.

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

It was the bear's skull he meant to take aim at. From the position of
the animal's snout, of course he could tell exactly where the head must
be, 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 it
through the snow. But he did not act in this manner. He had scientific
knowledge sufficient to tell him that his bullet, sent in a slanting
direction, might glance off the frozen crust, and miss the mark
altogether. To ensure its direction, therefore, he instantly glided two
steps forward, poked the barrel of his piece through the snow, until the
muzzle almost touched the head of the bear--and then fired!

For some seconds he saw nothing. The smoke of the gunpowder, as well as
the snow-dust blown up before the muzzle of the gun, formed a dense
cloud over the spot. But though Alexis could not see the effect of his
shot, 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 bear
was struggling in the water; while his piteous whines and faint grunting
told that his fierce strength was fast passing away.

As soon as the smoke had cleared off, Alexis upon his knees crept
forward 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 of
it; 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 the
animal.

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

It was not this that was now causing him to look down with such an
anxious and troubled countenance. It was his apprehensions for
Pouchskin. Where was he? At the