Bruin: The Grand Bear Hunt

"In the first place," said Alexis, "there is the brown bear (_ursus arctos_). Him we might find in many parts of our own country--since he is emphatically our `Russian bear'; bu...

Our travellers descended once more to the plains of Hindostan, and crossed the peninsula by _dak_ to Bombay. From Bombay they sailed through the Indian Ocean, and up the Persian...

They had got about a mile from the Fort; and were proceeding cautiously along through a hilly country, where thicket-like groves grew interspersed with patches of open ground, f...

Our heroes now, having accomplished their mission to Borneo, were about to cross over to the island of Sumatra; in which--as well as in Java, or upon the mainland of Malacca--th...

To their disappointment, however, the bear refused to exhibit even as much as the tip of his nose, not only while his door was being opened, but afterwards; and they began to th...

After going about a mile further, as their guide had forewarned them, they came within sight of a level valley, or rather a plain, covered with a singular vegetation. It looked...

They were soon beyond the bounds of the plantation, and walking under the dark majestic woods--the darkey guiding them on their way. They had heard of a curious lake or lagoon,...

It is not intended to detail the many incidents that befell them on the way, the chit-chat of steamboats, railroads, and hotels. Their father cared not to hear of these trifles;...

It is needless to say that the young Russians were delighted with the scenes that met their eyes in this fair southern land; and many of them are found faithfully described in t...

"Really, now," said Ivan, pointing to one of the tracks, "if it wasn't that I see the marks of claws instead of toes, I should fancy we were tracking a man instead of a bear--so...

They had been for some days on the lookout for a white bear; and had made several excursions from the Port--going as far as the mouth of the Seal river, which runs into Hudson's...

After following it for nearly a mile, it conducted them to a narrow gorge or ravine, lying between two rocky ridges. The ravine itself was not more than ten or a dozen yards in...

The sudden disappearance of both man and bear would no doubt have sadly perplexed our young hunters, had it not been for Pouchskin's previous adventure. With that still fresh in...

Higher up the Himalayas dwells the "snow bear." This species has received from naturalists the very fanciful appellation of the "Isabella bear" (_ursus isabellinus_)--a title su...

The party had not gone more than a dozen steps from the water's edge, when a new object coming under their eyes caused them to halt. This was another quadruped that at that mome...

As we have just said, the barbecue is a festival which especially belongs to the backwoods settlements, although it has now become known even in the older States, and often form...

To seek the haunts of this new species of bear, I have said that our hunters would have a long journey to make--even so far as the Great Slave Lake--for although the Barren Grou...

The travellers had halted for lunch, and tied their horses to the trees. While Pouchskin was spreading out the comestibles, and Alexis engaged in noting down in his journal the...

Thence proceeding to Lisbon, they took passage direct for Para, or "Gran Para," as it is called--a thriving Brazilian settlement at the mouth of the Amazon river, and destined a...

The river Napo is one of the largest of the head waters of the Amazon, and one of the most interesting--since, by it, most of the early expeditionists descended in search of the...

There our hunters expected to find no less than three species of bears-- each distinct from the others in outline of form, in aspect, in certain habits, and even in _habitat_; f...

The bear thus killed was the true _ursus arctos_, or brown bear--the latter name being given to him from the colour of his fur, which, in ninety-nine cases out of every hundred,...

The two youths were no little astonished by the contents of this singular epistle; but, for all that, the terms imposed did not seem to them either harsh or unreasonable, and th...

As already stated, it is the custom of the brown bear, as well as of several other species, to go to sleep for a period of several months every winter,--in other words, to _hybe...

According to their usual practice, they had hired one of the native hunters of the district to act as a guide, and assist them in finding the haunts of Bruin. In Napo they were...

They learnt that there were at least two varieties known to the Kurilski and Koriac hunters. One of them was the more common kind--a brown bear, closely resembling the _ursus ar...

Our hunters did not remain at their bivouac longer than was absolutely necessary to swallow a hasty meal. They had been warned of the dangerous climate of the _Terai_, and hurry...

For the light they had not long to wait. The day broke almost as soon as they had got well settled in their places; but the bear was likely to delay them a little longer--though...

"True, papa!" modestly answered Alexis; "our tutor tells us that we are sufficiently educated to go abroad; and, if you have no objection, we should very much like to make a tour."

A few weeks after leaving the Louisiana planter, our hunters were receiving hospitality from a very different kind of host, a "fur-trader." Their headquarters was Fort Churchill...

As the party proceeded onward, they observed several other tapang-trees, with ladders attached to them; and at the bottom of one of these--which was the tallest they had yet see...

They waited, for a time, in hopes that he might show his snout at the little aperture, and all three stood watching it, with guns cocked and ready. A good while passed, however,...

On the banks of the Neva, near the great city of Saint Petersburg, stands a splendid palace, known as the Palace Grodonoff. It is the property of a Russian nobleman of that name...

A little beyond the scene of their encounter with the woodcutters, the path entered among the gorges of the mountains, and the level plains of France were for a time lost to the...

We shall not detail the parting interview between the Baron Grodonoff and his sons; there was the usual interchange of affectionate expressions, with as much feeling as is commo...

After beating their brains, for some time to no purpose, an exclamation from the izzard-hunter at length announced that some happy idea had occurred to him. All eyes were at onc...

While proceeding towards the ground where they expected to find the bear, their guide informed them that he had not only ringed the animal, but actually knew the den in which it...

I have said that our hunters were for some time irresolute about how to act. The Kurilski was inclined to withdraw from the spot and leave the bears alone; and this of course wa...

They had reacted a district which lies between two great branches of the Napo river, and which bears the name of _Canelos_, or the "cinnamon country." The name was given to it b...

In this case it was a Dyak who became their conductor--one of those who follow the business of bee-hunters; and who, from the very nature of their calling, are often brought int...

Pouchskin proceeded to describe the manner of his escape--his young masters listening to him with great interest--although they already guessed pretty nearly how it had been acc...

Speaking geologically, the Pyrenees extend along the whole north of Spain, from the Mediterranean to the province of Galicia on the Atlantic; and in this sense the chain may be...

Our young hunters commenced their search in a forest of _khurso_ oaks, which, interspersed with cedars and other trees, covered a high round-topped ridge, that rose above the li...

It was well they had the izzard-hunter for a guide, for without him they might have searched a long time without finding a bear. These animals, although plenteous enough in the...

The range of the grizzly, though wider than that of the Barren Ground bear, is still not so extensive as that of the _ursus americanus_. The great chain or cordillera of the Roc...

There are colonies of Chinese settled in different parts of Borneo-- whose principal business there is the working of gold and antimony mines. These Chinese colonial settlements...

Both the young hunters succeeded in passing over the log, and had set foot on the peninsula; while the negro, who was following a little behind, was still upon the prostrate tru...

They passed the time pleasantly enough, listening to the stories of the izzard-hunter, who related to them much of the lore current among the peasantry of the mountains--tales o...

The bear of Kamschatka had to be skinned next. But it was necessary to catch one before he could be skinned; and also necessary to go to Kamschatka before he could be caught. To...

Alexis and Ivan, as they started back, simultaneously screamed out a shout of warning to Pouchskin. Both, almost at the same instant, raised their guns, and fired into the butto...

Having settled their accounts with Bruin of the Barren Grounds, our travellers proceeded down the Mackenzie river to the Hudson's Bay post of Fort Simpson. Thence they ascended...

The "Barren Ground bear" was next to be sought for; but to reach the haunts of this animal, a long and toilsome journey must be made. That tract of the Hudson's Bay territory kn...

The guide was conducting them to a stream that ran into the bay some ten or twelve miles from the "ostrog." On that stream, he said, they would be pretty certain to find a bear,...

This was evident to all. Bruin had climbed the tree, and was now snugly ensconced in the great nest of the vulture-eagles, though not a hair of his shaggy hide could be visible...

The entrance to the cave, if cave it was, was an aperture of no great dimensions--about large enough to admit the body of a full-grown bear, and no bigger. It appeared to be a h...

This plan was at once tried, but without success. While the negro rasped the bark with a pole, and struck the stick at intervals against the trunk, the hunters stood, with guns...

Journeying along the bank, as we have described, Alexis and Ivan had gone some two or three miles up the river. They were beginning to get tired of their walk: as the sand was r...

Passing many scenes of interest, and meeting with several other strange incidents, our travellers at length arrived at Archidona--a small town at the head of boat navigation upo...

It is needless to say that our young hunters took as long strides as the nature of the ground would permit; but, unfortunately, they were not long enough. The sand was soft and...

True to his promise, the izzard-hunter awoke them about an hour before dawn; and having saddled and bridled their animals, they mounted and rode off. Among the great tree trunks...

On their arrival, the hospitable planter sent to his neighbours, and arranged a grand hunt, to come off at an early day specified in the invitation. Each was to bring with him s...

After resting some days in the old capital of Quito, our travellers proceeded to the small port of Barbacoas, on the west coast of Equador; and thence took passage for Panama. C...

Their retreat upward upon the slanting limbs of the tree had brought a large band of their assailants round to that side; and, just as they raised their triumphant cry, they saw...

In one of the apartments of the palace Grodonoff, behold its proprietor, the baron himself! He is seated in an old oak chair, with a heavy table of the same material in front of...