d
hollow tree that had been scratched and torn by the bear's big claws in
his eagerness to get the grubs that no doubt were living among the
rotting wood. They followed the bear's tracks. Jean in his eagerness
went ahead and the father watched his boy with pride as he followed the
indistinct tracks with swiftness and sureness. Finally the bear led them
up one of the numerous mountains that are a feature of this country, as
you know. Soon the tracks could be followed only with the greatest
difficulty. Pierre was soon in the van and about noon he stopped dead
and pointed off about half a mile where they saw the bear himself busy
tearing away at another rotting tree.

"As they were somewhat to the windward side of the bear, they turned off
and went down the valley. An hour's swift walking and climbing brought
them out on the ridge on which they had seen the bear. Jean in his
eagerness had gone ahead again. Just as they rounded a point of rock,
the bear rose up almost on top of Jean. He had only a small caliber
rifle, but he gave it to the bear at once. The bullet cut a hole in the
beast's shoulder and with a growl of rage he rushed at the boy. Jean
gave him another, but it only seemed to enrage the bear the more, for he
plunged right on and threw Jean back with a mighty thrust.

"In the meantime, Pierre was in terror, not for himself but for Jean. On
the rather narrow ledge, he found his boy right in line with the bear
and he did not dare shoot for fear of killing him. When the bullets
from the small rifle failed to stop the rush of the wounded bear, Pierre
rushed forward, and as the bear thrust Jean back, he stepped over the
body of the boy, gave him a bullet from his rifle point blank and
throwing away his gun, he plunged his hunting knife into the bear with
all his might just as the monster flung him off as though he were a
plaything.

"Pierre says that about ten or twenty minutes later, perhaps half an
hour, he awoke to consciousness and started up on one elbow half dazed.
He felt that he had just narrowly escaped death, but for a moment he
could not just remember what had happened. Then the whole thing rushed
back to his mind and he got unsteadily to his feet. He found that he had
a bad scalp wound and a big bump on the back of his head which he had
hit on falling. When he got his dazed eyes to seeing properly, he was at
first horror-struck, for the bear lay half over his Jean. The latter was
lying on his back with