"He 's hit," said D'ri, leaping off and bidding me hold the bit. Then, with a long stride, he ran after the fleeing bear. I had been waiting near half an hour when D'ri came back slowly, with a downhearted look.
"’Tain' no use," said he. "Can't never git thet bear. He's got a flesh-wound high up in his hin' quarters, an' he's travellin' fast."
He took a fresh chew of tobacco and mounted his horse.
"Terrible pity!" he exclaimed, shaking his head with some trace of lingering sorrow. "Ray," said he, soberly, after a little silence, "when ye see a bear lookin' your way, ef ye want 'im, alwus shute at the end thet's toward ye."
There was no better bear-hunter in the north woods than D'ri, and to lose a bear was, for him, no light affliction.
"Can't never break a bear's neck by shutin' 'im in the hin' quarters," he remarked.
I made no answer.
"Might jest es well spit 'n 'is face," he added presently; "jest eggzac'ly."
This apt and forceful advice calmed a linger-
