We were a little uneasy, however, when we found it snowed one whole day and a night so fast, that we could not travel; but he bid us be easy, we should soon be past it all. We found, indeed, that we began to descend every day, and to come more north than before; and so, depending upon our guide, we went on.
It was about two hours before night when, our guide being something before us, and not just in sight, out rushed three monstrous wolves, and after them a bear, out of a hollow way adjoining [adjoin〈v.〉鄰接，相近] to a thick wood. Two of the wolves flew upon the guide, and had he been half a mile before us, he would have been devoured indeed before we could have helped him. One of them fastened upon his horse, and the other attacked the man with such violence, that he had not time, or presence of mind enough, to draw his pistol, but hallooed and cried out to us most lustily. My man Friday being next me, I bid him ride up, and see what was the matter. As soon as Friday came in sight of the man, he hallooed out as loud as the other, “O master! O master!” but like a bold fellow, rode directly up to the poor man, and with his pistol shot the wolf that attacked him into the head.
It was happy for the poor man that it was my man Friday, for having been used to such creatures in his country, he had no fear upon him, but went close up to him and shot him; as above, whereas any other 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 most dismal howling of wolves; and the noise, redoubled by the echo of the mountains, that is was to us as if there had been a prodigious number of them; and perhaps 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 [bridle〈n.〉韁繩] 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 in the arm, and the other time a little above his knee; and he was just 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 rid 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 clearly what had been the case, and how Friday had disengaged [disengage〈v.〉使脫身] the poor guide, though we did not presently discern what kind of 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 for him, the greatest diversion imaginable. As the bear is a heavy, clumsy creature, and does not gallop as the wolf does, who 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; he does not usually attempt them, unless they first attack him. On the contrary, if you meet him in the words, if you don’t meddle with him, he won’t meddle with you; but then you must take care to be very civil to him, and give him the road, for he is a very nice gentleman. He will not go a step out of his 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 steadily at him, he takes it for an affront; but 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, and will have satisfaction in point of honour. That is his first quality; the next is, if he be once affronted, he will never leave you, night or day, till he has his revenge, but follows, 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 frightened, and indeed the last more than the first; when, on a sudden, we spied the bear come out of the wood, and a 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.”