the crest of the mountains that looked down on the silent earth, the first ray of the sun, hitherto concealed in the East, lighted on the top of the Pyrenees, and the landscape suddenly illuminated, unrolled itself at the feet of the hunters— an imminent and profound valley, in which the jutting points covered with dark and majestic firs, formed a gulf of moving verdure, murmuring and sighing in the first breath of morning. Before them the scene was whitened by the foaming waters of a cascade, that fell from the distance of a hundred feet, into a black and fathomless hollow, to which the eye could not penetrate. By one ofthese caprices of chance, that bear testimony to the primitive convulsions of the globe, the gulf opposite to them was crowned by a species of bridge, formed by two piles of granite, which elevated themselves on both sides, and that seemed to be united and kept joined to gether by a long flat stone, composed also of rough granite. It seemed to be the work of the Titans, when warring against Heaven ; for it appeared impossible that human hands could have raised to such a height those monstrous blocks, for the purpose of forming that colossal arch. Of such a place it might well be supposed that sinister legends were told, which rendered it a place of horror and of dread to the mountaineers. They affirmed that no hunter, with the exception of Pareur, had ever been able to place himself there without becoming the prey of the bear, or falling into the abyss. Pareur was too religious to be at all affected by the superstitious tales that were told of the place. He explained that the danger which attached to the place was to be ascribed to the swimming of the sight, which was likely to occur, from the presence on one side of so awful an abyss and on the other by the danger to be apprehended from the bear-both sufficient to dazzle the hunter's eye, and to make his hand unsteady. Hence it was that he felt nuch fear for his young master who, in despite of his renewed and urgent prayers, persisted in occupying, with his antagonist, that post. After having placed the hunters on different points which were considered the most favorable, Pareur rejoined his men, and scattered them round the valley facing the cascade, and again recommended them to the most complete quietude, until the first bark of his own dog was heard. When that signal was given the mastiffs were to be uncoupled, the instruments to sound, and the troop to descend slowly, closing in on both sides by little and little as they approached the cascade. These dispositions for the coming struggle having been made, Pareur buried himself in the forest, followed by his dog. Some moments were given to profound silence, in which might be heard the tapping of the woodpecker on the dry trunk of some old tree. The silence continued ; but on a sudden it was broken by a wild cry and a loud
roaring. Each person grasped his weapon . Every heart beat violently-the hair of the dogs bristled up, and all with eyes of fire dashed like a whirlwind in the direction from which the strange noise had come. Soon their furious barks were mingled with the cries of the traqueurs, and the loud din of the most discordant instruments, above all of which came by intervals, the awful roar of the bear. It was as of a concert of demons, that echo after echo repeated from one end of the valley to the other. At that moment the young lord of Villetriton stood with the duellist at the bridge of Maure. The nobleman looked at his companion, upon whose face, although there was still great paleness and some nervousness, there was yet preserved an apparent calm, and disdainful bravery. "Attention, Sir," said the young nobleman in a low voice. "The dogs are coming this way, and the bear cannot be far distant. Take a steady aim, for if you miss the bear, he certainly will not miss you." "Be so good, my Lord, as to retain your prudent advice for your own guidance." "Attention," repeated the Baron, without being in the slightest degree excited by this uncourteous answer, "the animal is now two perches from you." "The bear is running on you, my Lord," was shouted now from all sides of the valley. At that moment there was heard the dull cracking of some broken branches, accompanied by the rolling of fragments of rock, which, dashed aside by the feet of the monster, and whirling to the bottom of the precipice, announced his impending approach . This time the paleness of M. de Malatour became a little more visible ; however, he grasped his carbine, and stood in the attitude of a courageous sportsman. The bear at length appeared ! his mouth foaming and his eyes full of rage at times he turned as if to make head against the clamor that pursued him ; but when he saw the bridge, his only path of safety, occupied by two adversaries, he sent forth a frightful howling, and then raising himself on his hind paws, his head down and his teeth menacing, he was on the point of flinging himself on the hunters, when-a ball struck him on the forehead and stretched him dead before them ! M. de Malatour, white as a sheet, still convulsively held his gun, of which he was not capable to make any use. On a sudden new cries were heard—they were still more eager, still more anxiously uttered than what had been said before-they appeared to come from all sides. "Heaven and earth ! -You are both dead men -another bear is rushing upon you- fire-fire-fire there !" Such was the exclamation of Pareur, who appeared suddenly beside the bear that had been shot. At this cry the Baron turned round, and saw on the other side of the bridge a second bear, still more dreadful
