idable than his stray pig to deal with, and
tried to catch the bear by the tail as he ran over him."

"So ye lost de bar!" cried Cudjo, greatly excited. "Fool, tink o'
cotchin' on him by de tail!"

"Still we couldn't fire, for he was on his legs again in a second,
chasing the bear's tail directly before our muzzles," said Pomp, quietly
laughing. "But luckily a stick flew up under his feet. Down he went
again. That gave two or three of us a chance to send some lead after the
beast. He got a wound--we tracked him by his blood on the ground--we
could see it plain as day by the glare of light--it led straight towards
the fire that was running up through the leaves and thickets on the
north. I expected that when he met that he would turn again; but he did
not: we were just in time to see him plough through it, and hear him
growl and snarl at the flames that maddened him, and which he was
foolish enough to stop and fight. Then he went on again. We followed.
Nobody minded the scorching. We kept him in sight till he met the fire
again--for it was now all around us. This time his heart failed him; he
turned back only to meet us and get a handful of bullets in his head.
That finished him, and he fell dead."

"Poor brute!" said Mr. Villars; "he found his human enemies more
merciless than the fire!"

"That's so," said Pomp, with a smile. "But we had not much time to
moralize on the subject then. The fire we had leaped through had become
impassable behind us. The men hurried this way and that to find an
outlet. They found only the fire--it was on every side of us like a
sea--the spot where we were was only an island in the midst of it--that
too would soon be covered. The bear was forgotten where he lay; the men
grew wild with excitement, as again and again they attempted to break
through different parts of the ring that was narrowing upon us, and
failed. Brave men they are, but death by fire, you know, is too
horrible!"

"How large was this spot, this island?" asked Penn.

"It might have comprised perhaps twenty acres when we first found
ourselves enclosed in it. But every minute it was diminishing; and the
heat there was something terrific. The men were rather surprised, after
trying in vain on every side to discover a break in the circle of fire,
to come back and find me calm.

"'Gentlemen,' said I, 'keep cool. I understand this ground perhaps
better than you do. Don't abandon your game; you have lost your meal and
potato