too great a breadth for a heavy grenadier, buttoned up
to the chin in a ponderous bear skin coat. He succeeded
in gaining the opposite piece of ice, but had no sooner
reached it, than he fell, entangled in such a manner in
his covering that he found it impossible to extricate
himself. To add to his disaster, the force of his fall
broke off, from the main body, the section of ice on
which he rested. Borne down by the current, in spite of
his vain struggles to free himself, he was unable even
to call for aid, his fingers moreover being so benumbed
with cold that he found it impossible to unbutton the
straps which confined his month. In this emergency he
could only utter the strange and unintelligible moan
which had reached our ears, and which, mingled with the
bursts of laughter from Julia D'Egville, formed a most
incongruous melange.

"The best of the adventure remains, however, to be told.
Numbers of the peasantry from either shore, provided with
poles, guns, and ropes, were now to be seen rushing
towards the half congealed Cranstoun, fully imagining--nay
exclaiming--that it was a wild bear, which, in an attempt
to cross the river, had had its retreat cut off, and was
now, from insensibility, rendered harmless. Disputes even
arose in the distance as to whom the prize should belong,
each pursuer claiming to have seen it first. Nay, more
than one gun had been levelled with a view of terminating
all doubt by lodging a bullet in the carcase, when,
fortunately for the subject in dispute, this proposal
was overruled by the majority, who were more anxious to