"It's too dark to see
anything. The light is nearly gone, and, if you don't quicken your
pace, and cross the tree before it goes out, you will, perhaps,
get your feet wet by falling into the creek."
"Good Heavens! I saw them again; and do just look at the dog."
Hector stopped suddenly, and, stretching himself along the ground,
his nose resting between his forepaws, began to whine and tremble.
Presently he ran back to us, and crept under our feet. The cracking
of branches, and the heavy tread of some large animal, sounded close
beside us.
Moodie turned the open lanthorn in the direction from whence the
sounds came, and shouted as loud as he could, at the same time
endeavouring to urge forward the fear-stricken dog, whose cowardice
was only equalled by my own.
Just at that critical moment the wick of the candle flickered a
moment in the socket, and expired. We were left, in perfect
darkness, alone with the bear - for such we supposed the animal
to be.
My heart beat audibly; a cold perspiration was streaming down my
face, but I neither shrieked nor attempted to run. I don't know how
Moodie got me over the creek. One of my feet slipped into the water,
but, expecting, as I did every moment, to be devoured by master
Bruin, that was a thing of no consequence.
