It was happy for the poor man that it was my man Friday; for he, having been used to that kind of creature in his country, had no fear upon him, but went close up to him and shot him as above; whereas any of us would have fired at a farther distance, and have perhaps, either missed the wolf, or endangered shooting the man.
But it was enough to have terrified a bolder man than I, and, indeed, it alarmed all our company when, with the noise of Friday’s pistol, we heard on both sides, the dismalest howlings of wolves, and the noise redoubled by the echo of the mountains, that it was to us as if there had been a prodigious multitude of them, and perhaps, indeed, there was not such a few as that we had no cause of apprehension.
However, as Friday had killed this wolf, the other, that had fastened upon the horse, left him immediately and fled, having happily fastened upon his head, where the bosses of the bridle had stuck in his teeth, so that he had not done him much hurt. The man, indeed, was most hurt, for the raging creature had bit him twice, once on the arm and the other time a little above his knee; and he was just as it were, tumbling down by the disorder of his horse, when Friday came up and shot the wolf.
It is easy to suppose, that at the noise of Friday’s pistol we all mended our pace, and rode up as fast as the way, which was very difficult, would give us leave, to see what was the matter. As soon as we came clear of the trees, which blinded us before, we saw plainly what had been the case, and how Friday had disengaged the poor guide, though we did not presently discern what kind of a creature it was he had killed.
But never was a fight managed so hardily, and in such a surprising manner, as that which followed between Friday and the bear, which gave us all, though at first we were surprised and afraid of him, the greatest diversion imaginable. As the bear is a heavy, clumsy creature, and does not gallop as the wolf does, which is swift and light, so he has two particular qualities, which generally are the rule of his actions; first, as to men, who are not his proper prey, I say not his proper prey, because though I can’t say what excessive hunger might do, which was now their case, the ground being all covered with snow, yet, as to men, he does not usually attempt them, unless they first attack him; on the contrary, if you meet him in the woods, if you don’t meddle with him, he won’t meddle with you; yet then you must take care to be very civil to him, and give him the road, for he is a very nice gentleman, he won’t go a step out of the way for a prince; nay, if you are really afraid, your best way is to look another way and keep going on, for sometimes if you stop, and stand still, and look steadfastly at him, he takes it for an affront; and if you throw or toss anything at him, and it hits him, though it were but a bit of stick as big as your finger, he takes it for an affront, and sets all other business aside to pursue his revenge, for he will have satisfaction in point of honour, and this is his first quality; the next is, that if he be once affronted, he will never leave you, night or day, till he has his revenge, but follow at a good round rate till he overtakes you.
My man Friday had delivered our guide, and when we came up to him he was helping him off his horse, for the man was both hurt and frighted, and, indeed, the last more than the first, when on a sudden we espied the bear come out of the wood, and a very monstrous one it was, the biggest by far that ever I saw. We were all a little surprised when we saw him; but when Friday saw him, it was easy to see joy and courage in the fellow’s countenance. “O! O! O!” says Friday three times, pointing to him, “O, master! you give me te leave, me shakee te hand with him, me makee you good laugh.”