unning
after a fashion that a man does but seldom.

I waited till he was close to me, till his wild eyes and gasping mouth
bred in me some of his panic, and then, after a hurried glance up the
creek, I, too, turned and fled for my life.

For there, lumbering and rolling heavily along, came the bear, gaining
at every stride, though evidently sorely hurt in one shoulder. But my
flight ended almost as it began, for a boulder, more rugged than its
fellows, caught my toe and sent me sprawling, gun and cartridge-bag and
self in an evil downfall.

I picked myself up and grabbed for my gun, and, even as I got to my
feet, the racing Halley tripped and rolled over like a shot rabbit. It
was too late for flight now, and I jumped for the nearest big boulder,
scrambling up and facing round just in time to see the bear, fury in his
eyes, raise his huge bulk and close with Halley, who was struggling to
his feet. Before I could fire down came the great paw, and poor Halley
collapsed, his head, mercifully, untouched, but the bone of the upper
arm showing through the torn cloth and streaming blood.

I fired ere the brute could damage him further, fired my second barrel
almost with the first, but with no apparent result except to rouse the
animal to yet greater fury, and he turned, wild with rage, and came at
me. A miserably insignificant pebble my boulder seemed then, and I
remember vaguely and hopelessly wondering why I hadn't climbed a
tree. But there was small time for speculation, as I hurriedly, and with
hands that seemed to be "all thumbs," tried to slip in a couple of fresh
cartridges.

As is generally the case when one is in a tight place, one of the old
cases jammed and would not come out--they had been refilled, and had,
besides, been wet a few days before, and my hands were clumsy in my
haste--and so, finally, I had to snap up the breech on but one fresh
cartridge, throw up the gun, and fire, as the bear was within ten feet
of me.

I fired, more by good luck, I think, than anything else, down his great,
red, gaping mouth, and jumped for life as he crashed on to the rock
where I had stood, crashed and lay, furiously struggling, the blood
pouring from his mouth and throat, for the buckshot, at quarters so
close, had inflicted a wound ten times more severe than would have been
caused by a bullet.

[Illustration: I FIRED DOWN HIS GREAT, RED, GAPING MOUTH AND JUMPED FOR
LIFE.]

It was quite evident that the bear was done