ll lake to fetch fish
caught in the autumn, and which then lay frozen in a little house built
of logs, to protect them for winter use. The lake was about ten miles
off; and as the road was pretty level and not much covered with
underwood, we took a train of dogs with us, and set off before daybreak,
intending to return again before dark; and as the day was clear and
cold, we went cheerily along without interruption, except an occasional
fall when a branch caught our snow-shoes, or a stoppage to clear the
traces when the dogs got entangled among the trees. We had proceeded
about six miles, and the first grey streaks of day lit up the eastern
horizon, when the Indian who walked in advance paused, and appeared to
examine some footprints in the snow. After a few minutes of close
observation he rose, and said that a bear had passed not long before,
and could not be far off, and asked permission to follow it. I told him
he might do so, and said I would drive the dogs in his track, as the
bear had gone in the direction of the fish-house. The Indian threw his
gun over his shoulder, and was soon lost in the forest. For a quarter
of an hour I plodded on behind the dogs, now urging them along, as they
flagged and panted in the deep snow, and occasionally listening for a
shot from my Indian's gun. At last he fired, and almost immediately
after fired again; for you must know that some Indians can load so fast
that two shots from their single barrel sound almost like the discharge
in succession of the two shots from a double-barrelled gun. Shortly
after, I heard another shot; and then, as all became silent, I concluded
he had killed the bear, and that I should soon find him cutting it up.
Just as I thought this, a fierce growl alarmed me; so, seizing a pistol
which I always carried with me, I hastened forward. As I came nearer, I
heard a man's voice mingled with the growls of a bear; and upon arriving
at the foot of a small mound, my Indian's voice, apostrophising death,
became distinctly audible. `Come, Death!' said he, in a contemptuous
tone; `you have got me at last, but the Indian does not fear you!' A
loud angry growl from the bear, as he saw me rushing up the hill,
stopped him; and the unfortunate man turned his eyes upon me with an
imploring look. He was lying on his back, while the bear (a black one)
stood over him, holding one of his arms in its mouth. In rushing up the
mound I unfortunately stumbled, and filled m