Adventure and adventurers > Hudson Bay, or, Everyday life in the wilds of North America

THE GUIDE’S STORY.
trust himself incautiously within its reach; so he ex¬
amined the priming of his gun, and then, advancing
slowly to the animal, pushed it with the muzzle. In
an instant the bear sprang upon him, regardless of the
shot lodged in its breast, and in another moment Wap-
wian lay stunned and bleeding at the monster’s feet.
Miniquan was at first so thunderstruck, as he gazed in
horror at the savage animal tearing with bloody jaws
the senseless form of his uncle, that he stood rooted to
the ground. It was only for a moment—the next, his
gun was at his shoulder, and after firing at, but unfor¬
tunately, in the excitement of the moment, missing the
bear, he attacked it with the butt of his gun, which he
soon shivered to pieces on its skull. This drew the
animal for a few moments from Wapwian; and Mini¬
quan, in hopes of leading it from the place, ran off in
the direction of the village. The bear, however, soon
gave up the chase, and returned again to its victim.
Miniquan now saw that the Only chance of saving his
relative was to alarm the village; so, tightening his
belt, he set off with the speed of the hunted deer in the
direction of the camp. In an incredibly short time he
arrived, and soon returned with the trappers and my¬
self. Alas ! alas! ” said the guide with a deep sigh, “ it
was too late. Upon arriving at the spot, we found the
bear quite dead, and the noble, generous Wapwian ex¬
tended by its side, tom and lacerated in such a manner
that we could scarcely recognize him. He still breathed
a little, however, and appeared to know me, as I bent
over him and tried to close his gaping wounds. We
constructed a rude couch of branches, and conveyed