es, and
after them a bear, from a hollow way adjoining to a thick wood; two of
the wolves made at the guide, and had he been far before us, he would
have been devoured before we could have helped him; one of them fastened
upon his horse, and the other attacked the man with such violence, that
he had not time, or presence of mind enough, to draw his pistol, but
hallooed and cried out to us most lustily. My man Friday being next me,
I bade him ride up and see what was the matter. As soon as Friday came
in sight of the man, he hallooed out as loud as the other, "O master! O
master!" but like a bold fellow, rode directly up to the poor man, and
with his pistol shot the wolf in the head that attacked him.

It was happy for the poor man that it was my man Friday; for, having been
used to such creatures in his country, he had no fear upon him, but went
close up to him and shot him; whereas, any other of us would have fired
at a farther distance, and have perhaps either missed the wolf or
endangered shooting the man.

But it was enough to have terrified a bolder man than I; and, indeed, it
alarmed all our company, when, with the noise of Friday's pistol, we
heard on both sides the most dismal howling of wolves; and the noise,
redoubled by the echo of the mountains, appeared to us as if there had
been a prodigious number of them; and perhaps there was not such a few as
that we had no cause of apprehension: however, as Friday had killed this
wolf, the other that had fastened upon the horse left him immediately,
and fled, without doing him any damage, having happily fastened upon his
head, where the bosses of the bridle had stuck in his teeth. But the man
was most hurt; for the raging creature had bit him twice, once in the
arm, and the other time a little above his knee; and though he had made
some defence, he was just tumbling down by the disorder of his horse,
when Friday came up and shot the wolf.

It is easy to suppose that at the noise of Friday's pistol we all mended
our pace, and rode up as fast as the way, which was very difficult, would
give us leave, to see what was the matter. As soon as we came clear of
the trees, which blinded us before, we saw clearly what had been the
case, and how Friday had disengaged the poor guide, though we did not
presently discern what kind of creature it was he had killed.

CHAPTER XX--FIGHT BETWEEN FRIDAY AND A BEAR

But never was a fight managed so hardily, and in such a s