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Updated: May 1, 2025
The animals all seemed tranquil enough some picking at the bushes that were within their reach, but most of them standing perfectly still, occasionally shaking their long ears, or changing one leg to throw the weight upon another. Pouchskin saw that it was necessary to pass among them; and, probably, had he squeezed quietly through, they might have remained still, and taken no notice of him.
"Corporal Pouchskin!" "General!" "I wish you to make a journey." "I am ready." "Not quite, corporal. I will give you an hour to prepare." "Where does the general wish me to go?" "Round the world." "Half an hour will suffice." "So much the better, then. Prepare to start in half an hour." Pouchskin bowed and retired.
Knowing this habit of the animal, our hunters perceived that they had no chance of again setting their eyes upon the bear, except by cutting down the tree; and they resolved to adopt this method, and fell the great sycamore to the ground. The darkey was despatched to the plantation; and soon returned with half a dozen of his brethren, armed with axes Pouchskin heading the sable band.
Slipping this under the rope, and placing it crosswise, he shoved it still nearer to the circumference of the broken circle his object being to give support to the cord, and keep it from cutting into the snow. The contrivance was perfectly correct; and as soon as Alexis had got all ready, he shouted to Pouchskin to haul upon the rope, and help himself.
As the Quan predicted, the animal had imprudently poked his head through the aperture where Pouchskin was standing ready for him. This, of course, finished the affair. It was only necessary to remove the palisades, sling the bear to a tree, and then strip him of his much-coveted skin.
The lock had been wetted in the snow-trap. It was a flint lock, and the priming had got damped. The failure only increased the fury of the animal; and a charge of swan-shot, which Ivan at the same instant fired from his second barrel, still further irritated him. Pouchskin drew his long-bladed knife.
Ivan was uttering cries of fear fear for the safety of his dearly-loved Pouchskin; while Alexis, more cool, was rapidly reloading his rifle, knowing that the surest means of saving the life of their faithful attendant, was to encompass the death of the bear. It was a moment of real peril for Pouchskin.
A knapsack of much larger dimensions formed the chief care of Pouchskin; and although this, with its contents, would have been a heavy load for an ordinary man, the veteran of the Imperial Guard thought no more of it than if it had been a bag of feathers.
As soon as the canoe touched the bank, both leaped out; and, followed by Pouchskin, proceeded towards the scene of the conflict, the voyageurs remaining in the canoe. 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.
The periagua was still three hundred yards distant. The Indians saw the chase, and knew the danger knew it so well, that it was not likely they would venture ashore to the rescue; and as for Pouchskin, he was unable to budge an inch even had there been no other means of saving his young masters. It was a moment of fearful apprehension for the faithful Pouchskin.
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