IhadsleptsosoundlythatIdidnotknowwhereIwas。Ilookedaroundme。Howwonderful！Iwasinsomesortofahall，allglitteringandwhitewithgleamingpillars，andwhenIlookedupI
saw，throughdelicatewhitetracery，avault，ravenblackandstuddedwithcolouredlights。Afteragoodlook，Irememberedthatwewereintheforest，andthatwhatItookforahallandpillars，weretreescoveredwithsnowandhoar-frost，andthecolouredlightswerestarstwinklingbetweenthebranches。
Hoar-frosthadsettledinthenight；allthetwigswerethickwithit，Damianwascoveredwithit，itwasonmyfurcoat，anditdroppeddownfromthetrees。IwokeDamian，andweputonoursnowshoesandstarted。Itwasveryquietintheforest。Nosoundwasheardbutthatofoursnow-shoespushingthroughthesoftsnow；exceptwhennowandthenatree，crackedbythefrost，madetheforestresound。Onlyonceweheardthesoundofalivingcreature。Somethingrustledclosetous，andthenrushedaway。Ifeltsureitwasthebear，butwhenwewenttothespotwhencethesoundhadcome，wefoundthefootmarksofhares，andsawseveralyoungaspentreeswiththeirbarkgnawed。Wehadstartledsomehareswhiletheywerefeeding。
Wecameoutontheroad，andfollowedit，draggingoursnow-shoesbehindus。Itwaseasywalkingnow。Oursnow-shoesclatteredastheyslidbehindusfromsidetosideofthehard-troddenroad。Thesnowcreakedunderourboots，andthecoldhoar-frostsettledonourfaceslikedown。Seenthroughthebranches，thestarsseemedtoberunningtomeetus，nowtwinkling，nowvanishing，asifthewholeskywereonthemove。
Ifoundmycomradesleeping，butwokehimup，andrelatedhowwehadgotroundthebear。Aftertellingourpeasanthosttocollectbeatersforthemorning，wehadsupperandlaydowntosleep。
IwassotiredthatIcouldhavesleptontillmidday，ifmycomradehadnotrousedme。Ijumpedup，andsawthathewasalreadydressed，andbusydoingsomethingtohisgun。
’WhereisDamian？’saidI。
’Intheforest，longago。Hehasalreadybeenoverthetracksyoumade，andbeenbackhere，andnowhehasgonetolookafterthebeaters。’
Iwashedanddressed，andloadedmyguns；andthenwegotintoasledge，andstarted。
Thesharpfroststillcontinued。Itwasquiet，andthesuncouldnotbeseen。Therewasathickmistaboveus，andhoar-froststillcoveredeverything。
Afterdrivingabouttwomilesalongtheroad，aswecameneartheforest，wesawacloudofsmokerisingfromahollow，andpresentlyreachedagroupofpeasants，bothmenandwomen，armedwithcudgels。
Wegotoutandwentuptothem。Themensatroastingpotatoes，andlaughingandtalkingwiththewomen。
Damianwastheretoo；andwhenwearrivedthepeoplegotup，andDamianledthemawaytoplacetheminthecirclewehadmadethedaybefore。Theywentalonginsinglefile，menandwomen，thirtyinall。Thesnowwassodeepthatwecouldonlyseethemfromtheirwaistsupwards。Theyturnedintotheforest，andmyfriendandIfollowedintheirtrack。
Thoughtheyhadtroddenapath，walkingwasdifficult，but，ontheotherhand，itwasimpossibletofall:itwaslikewalkingbetweentwowallsofsnow。
Wewentoninthiswayfornearlyhalfamile，whenallatoncewesawDamiancomingfromanotherdirection——runningtowardsusonhissnowshoes，andbeckoningustojoinhim。Wewenttowardshim，andheshoweduswheretostand。Itookmyplace，andlookedroundme。
Tomyleftweretallfirtrees，betweenthetrunksofwhichIcouldseeagoodway，and，likeablackpatchjustvisiblebehindthetrees，Icouldseeabeater。Infrontofmewasathicketofyoungfirs，aboutashighasaman，theirbranchesweigheddownandstucktogetherwithsnow。Throughthiscopseranapaththicklycoveredwithsnow，andleadingstraightuptowhereIstood。
Thethicketstretchedawaytotherightofme，andendedinasmallglade，whereIcouldseeDamianplacingmycomrade。
Iexaminedbothmyguns，andconsideredwhereIhadbetterstand。Threestepsbehindmewasatallfir。
’That’swhereI’llstand，’thoughtI，’andthenIcanleanmysecondgunagainstthetree’；andImovedtowardsthetree，sinkinguptomykneesinthesnowateachstep。Itrodthesnowdown，andmadeaclearanceaboutayardsquare，tostandon。OnegunIkeptinmyhand；theother，readycocked，Iplacedleaningupagainstthetree。ThenIunsheathedandreplacedmydagger，tomakesurethatIcoulddrawiteasilyincaseofneed。
JustasIhadfinishedthesepreparations，IheardDamianshoutingintheforest:
’He’sup！He’sup！’
AndassoonasDamianshouted，thepeasantsroundthecircleallrepliedintheirdifferentvoices。
’Up，up，up！Ou！Ou！Ou！’shoutedthemen。
’Ay！Ay！Ay！’screamedthewomeninhigh。pitchedtones。
Thebearwasinsidethecircle，andasDamiandrovehimon，thepeopleallroundkeptshouting。OnlymyfriendandIstoodsilentandmotionless，waitingforthebeartocometowardsus。AsIstoodgazingandlistening，myheartbeatviolently。I
trembled，holdingmygunfast。
’Nownow，’Ithought。’Hewillcomesuddenly。Ishallaim，fire，andhewilldrop——’
Suddenly，tomyleft，butatadistance，Iheardsomethingfallingonthesnow。Ilookedbetweenthetallfirtrees，and，somefiftypacesoff，behindthetrunks，sawsomethingbigandblack。Itookaimandwaited，thinking:
’Won’thecomeanynearer？’
AsIwaitedIsawhimmovehisears，turn，andgoback；andthenIcaughtaglimpseofthewholeofhiminprofile。Hewasanimmensebrute。Inmyexcitement，Ifired，andheardmybulletgo’flop’
againstatree。Peeringthroughthesmoke，Isawmybearscamperingbackintothecircle，anddisappearingamongthetrees。
’Well，’thoughtI。’Mychanceislost。Hewon’tcomebacktome。Eithermycomradewillshoothim，orhewillescapethroughthelineofbeaters。Inanycasehewon’tgivemeanotherchance。’
Ireloadedmygun，however，andagainstoodlistening。Thepeasantswereshoutingallround，buttotheright，notfarfromwheremycomradestood，Iheardawomanscreaminginafrenziedvoice:
’Hereheis！Hereheis！Comehere，comehere！Oh！
Oh！Ay！Ay！’
Evidentlyshecouldseethebear。Ihadgivenupexpectinghim，andwaslookingtotherightatmycomrade。AllatonceIsawDamianwithastickinhishand，andwithouthissnow-shoes，runningalongafootpathtowardsmyfriend。Hecroucheddownbesidehim，pointinghisstickasifaimingatsomething，andthenIsawmyfriendraisehisgunandaiminthesamedirection。
Crack！Hefired。
’There，’thoughtI。’Hehaskilledhim。’
ButIsawthatmycomradedidnotruntowardsthebear。Evidentlyhehadmissedhim，ortheshothadnottakenfulleffect。
’Thebearwillgetaway，’Ithought。’Hewillgoback，buthewon’tcomeasecondtimetowardsme——Butwhatisthat？’
Somethingwascomingtowardsmelikeawhirlwind，snortingasitcame；
andIsawthesnowflyingupquitenearme。Iglancedstraightbeforeme，andtherewasthebear，rushingalongthepaththroughthethicketrightatme，evidentlybesidehimselfwithfear。Hewashardlyhalfadozenpacesoff，andIcouldseethewholeofhim——hisblackchestandenormousheadwithareddishpatch。Therehewas，blunderingstraightatme，andscatteringthesnowaboutashecame。Icouldseebyhiseyesthathedidnotseeme，but，madwithfear，wasrushingblindlyalong；andhispathledhimstraightatthetreeunderwhichIwasstanding。Iraisedmygunandfired。Hewasalmostuponmenow，andIsawthatIhadmissed。Mybullethadgonepasthim，andhedidnotevenhearmefire，butstillcameheadlongtowardsme。
Iloweredmygun，andfiredagain，almosttouchinghishead。Crack！Ihadhit，butnotkilledhim！
Heraisedhishead，andlayinghisearsback，cameatme，showinghisteeth。
Isnatchedatmyothergun，butalmostbeforeIhadtouchedit，hehaddownatmeand，knockingmeoverintothesnow，hadpassedrightoverme。
’Thankgoodness，hehasleftme，’thoughtI。
Itriedtorise，butsomethingpressedmedown，andpreventedmygettingup。Thebear’srushhadcarriedhimpastme，buthehadturnedback，andhadfallenonmewiththewholeweightofhisbody。Ifeltsomethingheavyweighingmedown，andsomethingwarmabovemyface，andIrealizedthathewasdrawingmywholefaceintohismouth。Mynosewasalreadyinit，andIfelttheheatofit，andsmelthisblood。HewaspressingmyshouldersdownwithhispawssothatIcouldnotmove:allI
coulddowastodrawmyheaddowntowardsmychestawayfromhismouth，tryingtofreemynoseandeyes，whilehetriedtogethisteethintothem。ThenIfeltthathehadseizedmyforeheadjustunderthehairwiththeteethofhislowerjaw，andthefleshbelowmyeyeswithhisupperjaw，andwasclosinghisteeth。
Itwasasifmyfacewerebeingcutwithknives。Istruggledtogetaway，whilehemadehastetoclosehisjawslikeadoggnawing。
Imanagedtotwistmyfaceaway，buthebegandrawingitagainintohismouth。
’Now，’thoughtI，’myendhascome！’
ThenIfelttheweightlifted，andlookingup，Isawthathewasnolongerthere。Hehadjumpedoffmeandrunaway。
