e.

"Now address the company, and give them an account of your adventures,"
said Chacot.

The bear on this got up, and, making another bow, uttered some words
which certainly no one present could have understood. Listening
attentively, I caught several words which sounded remarkably like Irish.

"Who are you, and where in the world do you come from?" I exclaimed in
my native tongue.

No sooner had I uttered the words, than the bear made a spring right off
the stage, and rushed towards me, exclaiming, "Arrah! I'm Larry
Harrigan, Mr Terence dear! and shure you've found me at last?"

At the first movement the bear made the audience rushed from all parts
of the room, trying to effect their escape through the door, while
Jacques Chacot endeavoured to seize it, and to drag it back on the
stage. Larry, however, was not to be hindered, and, grasping my hand,
he held it in his shaggy paws, his voice alone assuring me who he was.

"Hands off from him, Chacot!" I cried out. "He is an honest Irishman
whom I know well. If you injure him it will be at your peril. Stop,
friends, stop!" I shouted to the people as they were escaping. "The
bear will do you no harm; come and assist me." Jacques Chacot, however,
fearing that the chance of making further gains by his prisoner would be
lost, dragged him back by main force, while poor Larry, closely encased
as he was in a skin, and padded out with pillows, was unable to help
himself. At the same time, one of the sons, seizing his pike,
threatened to run me through if I interfered.

I in vain called to the people to help me; they seemed to think that I
was as mad as the bear, or that I was a mere bearish Englishman, who had
lived so long amongst animals of that description that I very naturally
took it for an old friend Larry continued to shout out to me for help,
until Jacques Chacot seized his jaws, and, closing them, prevented his
voice from coming out, while the young Frenchmen dragged him away.

"Keep up your spirits, Larry," I cried. "If there's justice in the
country, I'll obtain it for you." As I found it would be impossible at
that moment to set Larry free, I followed the people out of the show,
and endeavoured to explain to them that the bear was no bear at all, but
a human being, whom I had known all my life. This, however, I found
they were by no means inclined to believe. It was a very strange bear,
they acknowledged, but they had no reason to doubt that be