It Was A Laughable Scene, As Shown By That Paltry Tallow-Candle.
Moodie, In His Night-Shirt, Taking Aim At
Something in the darkness,
surrounded by the terrified animals; old Jenny, with a large knife
in her hand, holding on
To the white skirts of her master's garment,
making outcry loud enough to frighten away all the wild beasts in
the bush - herself almost in a state of nudity.
"Och, masther, dear! don't timpt the ill-conditioned crathur wid
charging too near; think of the wife and the childher. Let me come
at the rampaging baste, an' I'll stick the knife into the heart of
him."
Moodie fired. The bear retreated up the clearing, with a low growl.
Moodie and Jenny pursued him some way, but it was too dark to
discern any object at a distance. I, for my part, stood at the open
door, laughing until the tears ran down my cheeks, at the glaring
eyes of the oxen, their ears erect, and their tails carried
gracefully on a level with their backs, as they stared at me and the
light, in blank astonishment. The noise of the gun had just roused
John E - - from his slumbers. He was no less amused than myself,
until he saw that a fine yearling heifer was bleeding, and found,
upon examination, that the poor animal, having been in the claws
of the bear, was dangerously, if not mortally hurt.
"I hope," he cried, "that the brute has not touched my foal!"
I pointed to the black face of the filly peeping over the back
of an elderly cow.
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