unwelcome visitor took himself off, to their infinite joy. When I came
home, they told me the story, at which I laughed very heartily, for I
thought their fears had magnified the visit of some neighbour's dog
into a bear, or some other wild beast; but they appeared unconvinced,
being both frightened and positive. My wife declared, that in the
morning she found some of the salt-pork had been abstracted from the
barrel, which stood in one corner of the kitchen, by the savage guest.

Now, I knew very well that master Bruin was fond of fresh pork, and I
thought it possible that he might think the salt an improvement. At all
events, I resolved to be prepared, in case he should pay us a second
visit. Accordingly, before going to bed, I loaded my gun with ball, and
tied Suffolk up in the vicinity of the pork-barrel. At midnight we were
suddenly awakened by the piteous howlings of the poor dog, and by a
noise, as if everything in the room had been violently thrown down. I
jumped out of bed instantly, and seizing my gun, crept cautiously along
the passage, till I came to the kitchen-door, which I threw open,
whereupon some large dark-looking object made a rush for the unfinished
part of the floor. I immediately fired; but it was so dark, and the
beast so quick in its movements, that I had little chance of hitting
him. Whether or not, it had the effect of scaring him so much that he
never resumed his nocturnal visitation. Indeed, I stopped his supplies
from my larder by finishing the floor and building up the hole between
the lower log of the house and the ground.

But to return to my story. As soon as the beast had made his exit, we
lighted a candle and examined the room, which we found in confusion and
disorder. The barrel of pork was upset and the brine running in
miniature rivers over the floor, while poor little Suffolk was bleeding
from his wounds--indeed nearly killed. From what I could make out of