Turn we now to Master O`Reilly, who with a
felicity characteristic of his country, had lost sight
of Newcut, who as we have seen, accompanied

[figure description] Page 337.[end figure description]

him into the wood in search of game. He wandered
about hallooing, and as usual, involving
his steps still deeper in the perplexities of the forest.
At length, having satisfied himself by a
course of logic, that either he had lost Newcut,
or Newcut had lost him and that when a man
did not know which way to go, he had better stand
still and consider, he took his pipe, which he always
carried at his button hole, and struck a light.
Then placing his gun against a tree, he sat down at
its foot, and began quietly to smoke, communing
with himself at the same time, as follows:—

“This is your true teacher of philosophy. But
Master Phelim O`Reilly, bad luck to you;—I fear
you made a great Irish blunder, in coming out to
this same unfinished world. You got a lame leg
in walking down cellar in the ship, only for miscounting
the steps, and have been shut up in the
thing there they call a town, till this blessed day,
when the first use your legs make of you, is to
lose you, like the dear little Babes in the Wood.
Faith, I begin to be solitary; and talking to nobody,
is unsatisfactory. I'll try what virtue there
is in singing.”

He then began humming one of the airs of his
country, when he was startled into silence, by a
rustling among a neighbouring tuft of thick bushes
and vines. Turning his eyes in that direction,
he perceived something which he conceived to

[figure description] Page 338.[end figure description]

be a savage crawling on all fours, with a view to
surprise him.

“Eh!” cried he, “who have we here? On my
conscience, my music beats that of the heathen
Greek—it makes a two legged animal walk on
four legs. He seems a quadruped savage, dressed
in furs, and must be a person of distinction. They
say these Indians are born without beards, but
this genius has enough for all his tribe.”

During this soliloquy, the creature, no other than
a bear—an animal, which Master O`Reilly, having
been confined ever since his arrival by his lameness,
had never happened to see before—gradually
approached. The bear was equally a stranger
to the white man, having lately arrived in those
parts, and being neither hungry nor amorous, approached
rather in curiosity than hostility.

“Arrah, honey, now, no nearer if you please,
till we come to a parley,” cried O`Reilly, presenting
his piece. “Have at you, if you say the
word,” taking aim at the unconscious animal.
“No, hang it, never shall I have it to say of myself,
that I took advantage of an unarmed man.
I'll do the honours of the place—I'll show him
what breeding is.”

Saying this, he approached the animal, and offered
to shake hands.

“Your servant, Master What d'ye Call'um; I
hope you and the family are well.” Here the bear
growled, not liking the demonstration of the

[figure description] Page 339.[end figure description]

hand. “Faith, the gentleman don't seem inclined
to be sociable. May be he would like to smoke
the pipe first, in token of peace, as is the fashion
here.”

So saying, he offered Sir Bruin the pipe, who,
as if to signify his gratitude, raised himself up,
and gave Master O`Reilly a hug.

“O by the powers, he's loving enough, now!”
cried O`Reilly. “He's almost hugged the breath
out of me. But he seems to take a fancy to my
pipe, and 'twould be ill manners not to offer him
another puff.”

So saying, he put his lighted pipe to Sir Bruin's
muzzle, who, taking it somewhat in dudgeon, gave
him a great box on the ear with his fore paw.

“Is that your manners, you spalpeen! If you're
for that kind of fun, just let me bury the calmut
as you gentry say, and we'll soon see which is
the best man of the two. I'll take measure of you
for a black eye, you whiskered divil.”

He then put up his pipe carefully in his button
hole, and to show that he bore no malice, offered
the bear his tobacco box, for which courtesy he
received a cuff that nearly knocked him down.

“Now by the glory of the stars!” exclaimed
Master O`Reilly, “that's more than sweet milk
could bear, without turning sour. Have at ye,
my beauty.”

O`Reilly then run into his antagonist with all
the characteristic gallantry of his country, and

[figure description] Page 340.[end figure description]

was received with a hug that made him pant like
a fish out of water. Finding the odds were
against him, he cleared himself with no small difficulty
from the embraces of Sir Bruin, and seizing
his gun, belaboured him with the butt end so lustily,
that in a little time he fell to the ground,
yielding the victory and his life at the same time.

Just at this moment Newcut made his appearance,
and inquired if he had found any game.

“Game enough,” replied he. “I've done for a
game Indian, Tim, that did'nt properly distinguish
between a hug and a box on the ear.”

“An Indian?”

“Aye, a person of distinction, dressed in furs.
I never saw a fellow that knew so little of his own
inclinations, or understood bad manners in such
perfection. But I've given him a lesson will last
him all the days of his life. See! here he is.”

On seeing what it was, Newcut burst into a
loud laugh. “Why, Master O`Reilly, are you so
ignorant of mankind, as not to know that this is
one Sir Bruin, well known in these parts?”

“What! one of King James' batch of new
knights?”

“Why, is it possible you never saw a bear before?”

“Never, except in a book: you know this is the
first excursion I have made into this world of big
trees. Is he good to eat?”

“Excellent, especially for hungry people, that
can get nothing else.”

[figure description] Page 341.[end figure description]