Page:The Complete Works of Lyof N. Tolstoi - 08 (Crowell, 1899).djvu/72

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
60
DESIRE STRONGER, ETC.

dened; he wanted to finish devouring me; but when he saw that a crowd had collected, he was afraid. By the trail we could see that the blood came from the bear's head; they wanted to go in pursuit of him; but my head began to pain me, and we returned to the village, to the doctor.

The doctor sewed up my wounds with silk, and they began to heal.

At the end of a month we again went out in pursuit of this bear; but I did not have the chance of finishing him. The bear did not come out of his lair, but kept moving around and around, and roaring in a terrible voice.

Demyan put an end to him. The lower jaw of this bear had been broken by my shot, and a tooth knocked out.

This bear was huge, and he had a splendid black skin.

I had him stuffed, and he lies in my sleeping-room. The wounds in my face got well, so that there is scarcely any scar where they were made.