CHAPTER X.

A PERILOUS BEAR-HUNT--A DEBATING SOCIETY--PANTHER HUNT--DISASTROUS EVENTS--DEATH OF ERSKINE--DEPARTURE.

Bears in their Winter Quarters--Bruin’s Cave--Our Adventure in the Cave--Attack and Retreat--Pursued by a Wounded Bear--Victory at last--Another Bruin in his Lair--Backwoods Debating Society--Knotty Points of Debate--A Panther in a Cave--Watchfire and Wounds--Off again after Game--Hunting with the Indians--Skeletons--Narrow Quarters--Wachiga--Our Fatal Temerity--Erskine’s Death--A Terrible Night--A Primitive Operation--I decline taking a Farm--A Rencontre.....312--349