He had sprung to his feet and levelled his rifle, the moment he saw what the animal was.
"For your life do not fire!" cried Lucien.

"It _may be a grizzly bear_!" His advice came too late.

The crack of Basil's rifle was heard; and the bear dropping upon all fours, danced over the ground shaking her head and snorting furiously.

The light had deceived Basil; and instead of hitting her in the head as he had intended, his bullet glanced from her snout, doing her but little harm.

Now, the snout of a bear is its most precious and tender organ, and a blow upon that will rouse even the most timid species of them to fury.