Quickly putting on her snow-shoes, Mary set off with Tony. Both had long sticks in their hands. They had got about half way, when Tony looked up, and said, “I hope, Miss Landon, that you are not afraid of bears.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Because I see the fresh marks of one on the snow,” he answered. “We may meet the gentleman; if we do, we must attack him with our sticks, and shout, and he will go off; but if we attempt to run, he’ll gain courage and follow.”
Mary said that she would follow Tony’s advice; but as she walked on, she looked anxiously on one side and on the other, expecting to see the bear appear. As to running away in snow-shoes, that she could not, and she was afraid that, in attacking the bear, she might topple over, and he might set on her.
“No fear, Miss Mary,” said Tony, as he saw her looking about; “if he does come, I’ll give him a taste of the tip of my stick, and he’ll soon turn his tail to us; he is not far off, I see by his marks; he’ll show himself presently. Now don’t run, Miss Mary, but shout out like a man, as if you wasn’t afraid.”
Scarcely had Tony given this advice, than a brown, shaggy-coated bear was seen moving along the snow between the trees. He soon caught sight of the travellers, and sat up, watching them as they passed.
“I told you he wouldn’t hurt us,” said Tony; “we used to see plenty of them where we were last.” They had not, however, gone far, when Tony, looking over his shoulder, cried out, “Here he comes though; but don’t fear, there’s a rise a little farther on, and from the top of it we can see Mr Sudbury’s clearing.” Still the bear followed, and got closer and closer. Tony kept facing him every now and then. At last he cried out, “Now’s our turn, Miss Mary, turn round and shout as you never shouted before.” Mary did as she was advised, and Tony at the same time setting up a loud shriek and hallo, and shaking his stick, the bear was so astonished that he turned round and waddled off. Once or twice he looked back, but Tony’s shout made him hasten away faster than before. Thus it will be seen, that though there are bears in Canada, they are not much to be dreaded.
In a short time Mary and her companion arrived at the clearing. She inquired anxiously who was the sufferer, for she knew that it might be her own father as likely as any one else.
“It is John Kemp, he is there in the hut,” was the answer.
“Bless you, Miss Mary,” said Michael Hale, when he saw her come to assist his friend; “but I’m afraid that help comes too late. The best surgeon in the land couldn’t cure him.”