a little while, when
the growl of the bear put me in mind of him; I jumped on my legs, and
found that he was coming down the tree after me, and was within six feet
of the ground. There was no time to lose; I caught up my rifle, and had
just time to put it to his ear and settle him, as he was placing his
fore-foot on the ground."

"What a narrow escape!"

"Well, perhaps it was, but there's no saying, miss, which beats till the
fight is over."

CHAPTER XXIV.

A notice arrived that the departure of the boat to Montreal would take
place on the next morning. When the boat came up, it brought Captain
Sinclair, to the great delight of the whole party, who had felt very
anxious about one with whom they had so long been intimate and who had
shown them so much kindness. His knee was almost well, and as soon as
the first interrogations were over, he made known to them that he had
obtained six weeks' leave of absence, and was about to proceed to
Quebec.

"To Quebec!" cried Emma, "and why are you going to Quebec?"

"To confess the truth, Emma," said Captain Sinclair, "my journey to
Quebec is but the preparatory step to my return to England for perhaps
two or three months."

"To England! Oh! how I wish--;" but here Emma stopped; she was going to
say how much she wished that she was going also, but her uncle and aunt
were present, and, recollecting that it might pain them and induce them
to think that she was discontented, she added, "that you would bring me
out all the new fashions."

"All the new fashions, my dear Emma?" said Henry. "Why, do you wish to
be fashionably dressed in the woods of Canada?"

"Why not?" exclaimed Emma, who felt that she must appear to be very
foolish, but could not get out of her scrape. "I can look at myself in
the glass at all events."

"I will try to bring you out something which will give you pleasure,"
replied Captain Sinclair, "but as for the fashions, I know you are only
joking, by your trusting a person so incompetent as I am to select
them."

"Well, I do not think you would execute my commission very well, so I
will not trouble you," replied Emma; "and now let us know why you are
going to England."

"My dear Emma," said Mr. Campbell, "you ought not to put such questions;
Captain Sinclair has his own reasons, I have no doubt."

"It is very true that I have my own reasons," replied Captain Sinclair,
"and, as I have no secrets, I will with pleasure gratify Emma's
curiosity.