Adventures in Many Lands | Page 8

as it began, for a boulder, more rugged than its
fellows, caught my toe and sent me sprawling, gun and cartridge-bag
and self in an evil downfall.
I picked myself up and grabbed for my gun, and, even as I got to my
feet, the racing Halley tripped and rolled over like a shot rabbit. It was
too late for flight now, and I jumped for the nearest big boulder,
scrambling up and facing round just in time to see the bear, fury in his
eyes, raise his huge bulk and close with Halley, who was struggling to
his feet. Before I could fire down came the great paw, and poor Halley
collapsed, his head, mercifully, untouched, but the bone of the upper
arm showing through the torn cloth and streaming blood.
I fired ere the brute could damage him further, fired my second barrel
almost with the first, but with no apparent result except to rouse the
animal to yet greater fury, and he turned, wild with rage, and came at
me. A miserably insignificant pebble my boulder seemed then, and I
remember vaguely and hopelessly wondering why I hadn't climbed a
tree. But there was small time for speculation, as I hurriedly, and with
hands that seemed to be "all thumbs," tried to slip in a couple of fresh
cartridges.
As is generally the case when one is in a tight place, one of the old
cases jammed and would not come out--they had been refilled, and had,
besides, been wet a few days before, and my hands were clumsy in my
haste--and so, finally, I had to snap up the breech on but one fresh
cartridge, throw up the gun, and fire, as the bear was within ten feet of
me.
I fired, more by good luck, I think, than anything else, down his great,
red, gaping mouth, and jumped for life as he crashed on to the rock
where I had stood, crashed and lay, furiously struggling, the blood
pouring from his mouth and throat, for the buckshot, at quarters so
close, had inflicted a wound ten times more severe than would have
been caused by a bullet.
[Illustration: I FIRED DOWN HIS GREAT, RED, GAPING MOUTH
AND JUMPED FOR LIFE.]

It was quite evident that the bear was done, but, for the sake of
safety--it does not do to leave anything to chance with such an
animal--I put two more shots into his head, and he ceased to struggle, a
great shudder passed over his enormous bulk, the muscles relaxed, and
he lay dead.
Then I hurried to where Halley lay. Poor chap! He was far spent, and
quite unconscious, nor was I doctor enough to know whether his
wounds were likely to be fatal, and my very ignorance made them seem
the more terrible. I tore my shirt into bandages, and did what I could for
him, succeeding after a time in stopping the worst of the bleeding; but I
could see very plainly that the left shoulder was terribly shattered, and I
thought, with a groan, of the fifty weary miles that one must send for a
doctor.
Presently he began to come to, and I got him to swallow a little brandy
from his flask, which revived him, and before long, after putting my
coat beneath his head, I left him and started for help.
It was a nightmare, that run. Remorse tore me for having let him start
after the bear alone, and never could I get from my mind the horrible
dread that the slipping of one of my amateur bandages might re-start
the bleeding, and that I should return to find only the lifeless body of
my friend; ever the fear was present that in the terribly rough bed of the
creek I might sprain my ankle, and so fail to bring help ere it was too
late. At times, too, my overstrung nerves were jarred by some sudden
sound in the undergrowth, or the stump of a tree on a hillside would
startle me by so exact a likeness to a bear, sitting up watching me, as to
suggest to my mind the probability of another bear finding and mauling
Halley whilst he lay helpless and alone.
But if my nerves were shaken, my muscles and wind were in good
order, and not even the most morbid self-consciousness could find fault
with the time spent on the journey. Luck favoured me, too, to this
extent, that almost as I got on to the road, or, rather, track, about a mile
from the inn, I met, driving a buggy, and bound for Los Angeles, a man
whose acquaintance we had made a few days before, and who, with
much lurid language, had warned us against going after bear.

His remarks now