The party had not gone more than a dozen steps from the water's edge,
when a new object coming under their eyes caused them to halt. This was
another quadruped that at that moment was seen dashing out from the
willows, and rushing onward towards the scene of the strife. There was
no mistaking the character of the creature. Our hunters saw at a glance
that it was a large white bear--much larger than the one surrounded by
the wolves. It was, in fact, the male; who, wandering in the thicket of
willows--or, more likely, lying there asleep--had not till that moment
been aware of what was going on, or that his wife and children were in
such deadly danger. Perhaps it was the noise that had awaked him; and
he was just in the act of hastening forward to the rescue.
With a shuffling gallop he glided over the plain--as fast as a horse
could have gone; and in a few seconds he was close up to the scene of
the conflict--to which his presence put an end right on the instant.
The wolves, seeing him rush open-mouthed towards them, one and all
bolted off; and ran at full speed over the plain, their long tails
streaming out behind them. Those that were wounded, however, could not
get clear so easily; and the enraged bear, charging upon these, rushed
from one to the other, knocking the breath out of each as he came up to
it, with a single "pat" of his heavy paws.
In less than ten seconds the ground was quite cleared of the ravenous
wolves. Only the dead ones remained on it; while the others, having got
off to a safe distance, halted in straggling groups; and, with their
tails drooping upon the grass, stood gazing back with looks of
melancholy disappointment.
Bruin, meanwhile, having settled his affair with the wounded wolves, ran
up to his mate; and, throwing his paws around her neck, appeared to
congratulate her upon her escape! And now did our hunters perceive that
there were two cubs instead of one--that which still clung fast upon the
mother's back, and another which was seen under her belly, and which she
had been equally protecting against the crowd of assailants that
surrounded her.
Both the little fellows--about as large as foxes they were--now
perceived that they were out of a danger--which, no doubt, they had
perfectly comprehended. That upon the shoulders of the dam leaped down
to the earth; while the other crawled out "from under;" and both coming
together began tumbling about over the grass, and rolling over one
another in play, the parents watching with interest their uncouth
gambols.
Notwithstanding the well-known ferocity of these animals, there was
something so tender in the spectacle, that our hunters hesitated about
advancing. Alexis, in particular, whose disposition was a shade more
gentle than that of his companions, felt certain qualms of compassion,
as he looked upon this exhibition of feelings and affections that
appeared almost human. Ivan was even touched; and certainly neither he
nor his brother would have slain these creatures out of mere wanton
sport. They would not have thought of such a thing under ordinary
circumstances; and it was only from the necessity they were under of
procuring the skin that they thought of it at all. Perhaps they would
even have passed this group; and taken their chances of finding another,
that might make a less powerful appeal to their compassion; but in this
they were overruled by Pouchskin. The old grenadier was afflicted by no
such tender sentiments; and throwing aside all scruple, before his young
masters could interfere to prevent him, he advanced a few paces forward,
and discharged his fusil, broadside at the biggest of the bears.
Whether he hit the bear or not, was not then known. Certain it was that
he in no way crippled the animal; for, as soon as the smoke had cleared
out of his eyes, he saw the huge quadruped part from the side of his
mate, and come charging down upon him.
Pouchskin hesitated for a moment whether to withstand the attack, and
had drawn his knife to be ready; but the formidable appearance of the
antagonist, his immense size, and fierce aspect, admonished Pouchskin
that in this case discretion might be the better part of valour, and he
yielded to the suggestion. Indeed, the two voyageurs in the canoe were
already shouting to all three to run for it--warning them of the danger
they were in by the most earnest speech and gesture.
Ivan and Alexis stood their ground till Pouchskin had returned to where
they were, and then both fired upon the bear. They may have hit him or
not; but the huge monster showed no sign, and only appeared to charge
forward the faster.
All three together now ran for the boat. It was their only refuge; for
had it been a trial of speed, and much ground to go over, the bear would
certainly have overtaken them; and a few wipes from his paw would have
ended the life of one or the other--perhaps of the whole trio.
It was fortunate they had the boat to flee to: else Pouchskin's
imprudence, in provoking the bear, might have led to a fatal
termination.
Quick as their legs could carry them they made for the canoe; and one
after the other leaped into it. Without even waiting for them to seat
themselves, the two voyageurs pushed off from the bank, suddenly
shooting the craft out into the middle of the stream.
But this did not stay the pursuit of the infuriated bear, nor even delay
him for a moment.
On reaching the bank, he did not make halt; but, launching out, sprang
down with a plunge upon the water. Then, stretching his body at full
length, he swam direct after the canoe.
The craft had been turned head down the stream; and, what with the help
of the current and the impulse of the oars, it swept onward with
arrow-like rapidity. But for all that it soon became apparent that the
bear was gaining upon it--his broad paws enabling him to swim with the
velocity of a fish--while every now and then he rose above the surface,
and bounded forward to a distance of several feet through the air!
The voyageurs plied their paddles with all their skill and energy; there
was the dread of death to stimulate them to the utmost exertion of their
strength. They knew well, that, if the bear should succeed in coming up
with the canoe, he would either mount into it, and drive all of them
into the water; or, what was more probable, he would upset the craft,
and spill the whole party out of it. In either case, there would be the
danger of coming in contact with his claws; and that, they knew, was the
danger of death itself.
The hunters were all three busy reloading their guns; and getting ready
to fire before the enemy should be up to them.
They were not in time, however. With the motion of the boat, and the
constrained attitudes in which it placed them, the loading was a slow
process; and, before any of the three had a bullet down, the bear was
close astern. Only Ivan had a barrel loaded; and this, unfortunately,
was with small shot, which he had been keeping for waterfowl. He fired
it, nevertheless, right into the teeth of the pursuer; but, instead of
stopping him, it only increased his rage, and roused him to make still
greater efforts to overtake the canoe.
Pouchskin, in despair, threw down his gun, and seized upon an axe, that
by good luck had been brought in the boat. With this firmly grasped in
his hands, and kneeling in the stern, he waited the approach of the
infuriated swimmer.
The bear had got close up to the boat--in fact was within the length of
his own body of touching it. Believing himself now near enough, he made
one of his prodigious bounds, and launched himself forward. His sharp
claws rattled against the birch-bark, tearing a large flake from the
craft. Had this not given way, his hold would have been complete; and
the boat would, in all likelihood, have been dragged, stern foremost,
under water. But the failure of his clutch brought the head of the
monster once more on a level with the surface; and before he could raise
it to make a second spring, the great wedge of steel descended upon his
crown, and went crashing through his skull.
Almost in the same instant, he was seen to turn over in the water; his
limbs moved only with a spasmodic action; he gave a feeble kick or two
with his long hind legs; and then his carcass floated along the surface,
like a mass of white foam.
It was soon secured, and drawn out upon the bank--for the purpose of
being stripped of its snow-white robe.
Our young hunters would have been contented to have left the others
alone--neither the female nor her cubs being required by them. But the
voyageurs--who were desirous of obtaining the skins of all three on
their own account--proposed returning to effect their destruction; and
in this proposal they were backed by Pouchskin, who had a natural
antipathy to all bears.
It ended in the killing of the dam, and the capturing of her cubs alive;
for, encumbered as the old she was with her offspring, she was soon
overtaken, and fell an easy victim to the volley of bullets that were
poured into her from all sides at once.
With the skins of the old bears, and the cubs tied in the bottom of the
canoe, our hunters started back down stream; but they had scarce parted
from the place, before the ravenous wolves returned--not only to devour
the carcases of the bears, but also those of their own comrades that had
fallen in the encounter!