The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 223: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDI’S YOUNG CAPTAIN, va ey = 7 — 7 << i i Ane a \i: ue AW \! y Pi \ THE FIGHT WITH THE INDIANS. “T did not £ for a moment ‘take my eyes off the monster, “For I had often heard that directly you do so the ‘ varmint’ will be sure to take advantage of it, and pounce upon you. “Nearer and nearer the bear approached me. “His long fore-paws almost scratched my arm, ‘No time was now to be lost.’ “T drew my revolver and took’ ‘deliberate aim at his heart. “ At the same time I clutched my long’ hunting knife firmly in the other hand. ‘iF fired:!6 65: ‘My aim was good. ‘But I missed the monster’s heart. “With a growl like distant thunder’ he ‘rushed upon me. “His fore paws enclosed me, “He had me now in his embrace. ‘The squeeze was terrible, “T almost fancied I could hear my ribs crack, “Struggle as I would it was of no use. - “T could not wriggle out of his embrace, “My eyes and brain began to reel. “T saw his © white* teeth close to my facé and neck, “Tike a madman I fess my knife, and plunged ité several times in quick succession into - the monster’s side, ‘Blood* spurted out in torrents and © almost blinded: me.) 92/5 “ The last: plunge I gave I heard a terrible bert; and then I knéw/not what: ph dae egh for I lost all consciousness. No, 28. “When I’ awoke I found myself. lying’ on the - ground covered in blood. ~ «The bear and I were atill in a tight embrace. “As I turned my eyes wildly about me I was rejoiced to find that the monster was stone dead. “My last stroke of the knife had pound -his heart. Su * That.last.slash had killed hime, BST! “ But eyen when dying he did not let go ‘his ‘bald; but we both. fell together. | _.** My escape was most miraculous, : “I got out from the dead bear’s tight hold as poet I could, and looked at myself from head to foot, ‘I was literally covered with blood all over, and a painful sensation in the left arm told’ me sits the beast had bitten me. ““T-was very weak, and leaned ‘against a fee for support. ‘In the distance I could hn: Pedro, the count, Caspar, with Fatty and others searching for and calling me,, but;I,could not reply for they were still too far away. “T rested for more than half an hoar; and then commenced to skin the bear, for ‘his hide was a splendid one. “This job lasted more than one hour, but at last I secured the skin. 3 “Tn order not to take cold I Rik the skin al Sine? me like a cloak, and walked towards the spot where my companions were waiting about for me, ~~ “T had’ not gone far when I discovered the Count and Fatty some distance off, ny