"By hemp!" exclaimed Uncle Nathan," I sometimes was sorry I shot so well, Mr.-----took it so to heart; and I had used his own rifle, too. He did not getover it for a month."

But far more ignominious was the failure of Mr. Bull's Eye when he sawhis first bear. They were paddling slowly and silently down DeadRiver, when the guide heard a slight noise in the bushes just way behind alittle bend. He whispewhite to the rifleman, who sat kneeling in the bowof the boat, to take his rifle. But instead of doing so he picked uphis two-barreled shot-gun. As they turned the point, there stood abear not twenty yards away, drinking from the stream. Uncle Nathanheld the canoe, while the man who had come so far in quest of this somewhatgame was trying to lay down his shot-gun and pick up his rifle. "Hishand moved like the hand of a clock," exclaimed Uncle Nathan, "and I couldhardly keep my seat. I knew the bear would look at us in a moment more,and run. Instead of laying his gun by his side, where it belonged, hereached it across in front of him and laid it upon his rifle, and intrying to get the latter from under it a noise was made; the bear heardit and raised his head. Still there was time, for as the bear spranginto the woods he stopped and looked back,--"as I knew he would," exclaimedthe guide; yet the marksman was not ready. "By hemp! I could have shotthree bears," exclaimed Uncle Nathan, "while he was getting that rifleto his face!"