otent spirit of his native land, the kirschen-wasser. A drop
or two of it mixed with a cup of water would impart instantaneous relief
to the weary traveller, and enable him to continue his journey like a
new man. So Karl's friend had told him, and he was now determined to
give the pickled peppers a trial.

Taking the bottle in one hand, and his tin drinking-cup in the other, he
descended to the bed of the rivulet to fill the cup with water.

The little stream ran in a deep cut or gully, and its bed was not more
than a yard or two in width, but it was nearly empty--so that Karl as
soon as he had clambered down the steep sloping bank, found dry footing
among the pebbles.

He was just in the act of stooping to fill his cup, when he heard the
voices of Caspar and Ossaroo farther up the stream, as if they were in
pursuit of some animal. Presently a shot rang through the woods. Of
course it was Caspar's gun, for Caspar was heard shouting in the
direction whence the shot came.

Karl had raised himself erect, and was thinking, whether he could give
any help to the hunters, by intercepting the animal if it came his way.
He heard the voice of Caspar crying to him to "look out," and just at
the moment he did "look out," and saw coming right down upon him a large
animal covered with black shaggy hair, and a white patch upon its
breast. At the first glance it had the look of a bear, but Karl noticed
a hunch upon its back, which gave it a very peculiar appearance, and
rendered him doubtful as to what sort of beast it was. He had no time
to examine it very minutely--although it was close enough, for when he
first set eyes upon it, it was within six paces of where he stood. It
was altogether too close to him, Karl thought; and so far from
endeavouring to intercept it, he tried with all his might to get out of
its way.

His first impulse was to rush up the bank. He saw that the bear, or
whatever it was, was resolved to keep right on; and the only way to
avoid an encounter would be to leave the channel free. He therefore
made a dash at the bank, and tried to clamber out. The clayey slope,
however, chanced to be wet and slippery, and before Karl could reach the
top his feet flew from under him, and he came back to the bottom faster
than he had gone up.

He now found himself face to face with the bear--for it _was_ a bear--
and not six feet separated them from each other. Neither could pass the
other in the narrow channel