so lightly as to
be quite inaudible, and Harry, stepping gently over the side, drew it
forward a couple of feet, while his companions disembarked.

"Now, Mister Harry," said the guide, as he slung a powder-horn and
shot-belt over his shoulder, "we've no need to circumvent the beast, for
he's circumvented hisself."

"How so?" inquired the other, drawing the shot from his fowling-piece,
and substituting in its place a leaden bullet.

Jacques led the way through the somewhat thinly scattered underwood as
he replied, "You see, Mister Harry, the place where he's gone to sun
hisself is jist at the foot o' a sheer precipice, which runs round ahead
of him and juts out into the water, so that he's got three ways to
choose between. He must clamber up the precipice, which will take him
some time, I guess, if he can do it at all; or he must take to the
water, which he don't like, and won't do if he can help it; or he must
run out the way he went in, but as we shall go to meet him by the same
road, he'll have to break our ranks before he gains the woods, an'
that'll be no easy job."

The party soon reached the narrow pass between the lake and the near end
of the cliff, where they advanced with greater caution, and peeping over
the low bushes, beheld Bruin, a large brown fellow, sitting on his
haunches, and rocking himself slowly to and fro, as he gazed
abstractedly at the water. He was scarcely within good shot, but the
cover was sufficiently thick to admit of a nearer approach.

"Now, Hamilton," said Harry, in a low whisper, "take the first shot. I
killed the last one, so it's your turn this time."

Hamilton hesitated, but could make no reasonable objection to this,
although his unselfish nature prompted him to let his friend have the
first chance. However, Jacques decided the matter by saying, in a tone
that savoured strongly of command, although it was accompanied with a
good-humoured smile--

"Go for'ard, young man; but you may as well put in the primin' first."

Poor Hamilton hastily rectified this oversight with a deep blush, at the
same time muttering that he never _would_ make a hunter; and then
advanced cautiously through the bushes, slowly followed at a short
distance by his companions.

On reaching a bush within seventy yards of the bear, Hamilton pushed the
twigs aside with the muzzle of his gun; his eye flashed and his courage
mounted as he gazed at the truly formidable animal before him, and he
felt more