lapdogs are taught to assume while eating. On we pulled, and forgot our
hunger and weariness; the bear still continued breakfasting.

"We got as close on shore as the shoals would permit, and John, (one of
the Indians,) taking my double-barrelled gun, leaped into the water, gun
in hand, and gained the beach. Some dead brushwood hid the bear from
John's sight, but from the canoe we could see both John and the bear.

"The bear now discovered us, and advanced towards us; and John, not
seeing him for the bush, ran along the beach towards him. The weariness
from pulling all night, and having eaten no food, made me lose my presence
of mind, for I now remembered that the gun was only loaded with duck-shot,
and you might as well meet a bear with a gun loaded with peas.

"John was in danger, and we strained at our paddles to get to his
assistance; but as the bear was a very large one, and as we had no other
firearms, we should have been but poor helps to John in the hug of a
wounded bear. The bear was at the other side of the brush-heap: John heard
the dry branches cracking, and he dodged into a hollow under a bush. The
bear passed, and was coursing along the sand, but as he passed by where
John lay, bang went the gun.--The bear was struck.

"We saw him leap through the smoke to the very spot where we had last seen
John. We held our breath; but instead of the cry of agony we expected to
hear from John, bang went the gun again--John is not yet caught. Our canoe
rushed through the water.--We might yet be in time; but my paddle fell from
my hand with joy as I saw John pop his head above the bush, and with a
shout point to the side of the log on which he stood, 'There he lies, dead
enough.' We were thankful indeed to our Great Preserver."--_Peter Jacob's
Journal._