The bear, who had been prowling in the bottom of the ravine, had been disturbed by the fall of the body of the savage near him, and started hastily to return to its abode, which lay high up on the face of the cliff.  Malchus and his companion hurried forward to the spot where it had crossed the path.  The way was plain enough; there were scratches on the rock, and the bushes growing in the crevices were beaten down.  The path had evidently been frequently used by the animal.

“Look out, my lord!” Nessus exclaimed as Malchus hurried along.  “These bears of the Pyrenees are savage brutes.  See that he does not take you unawares.”

The rocks were exceedingly steep; and Malchus, with his bow in his hand and the arrow fitted and ready to draw, climbed on, keeping his eyes on every clump of bush lest the bear should be lurking there.  At last he paused.  They had reached a spot now but a short distance from the top.  The cliff here fell almost perpendicularly down, and along its face was a narrow ledge scarcely a foot wide.  Along this it was evident the bear had passed.

“I should think we must be near his den now, Nessus.  I trust this ledge widens out before it gets there.  It would be an awkward place for a conflict, for a stroke of his paw would send one over the edge.”

“I shall be close behind you, my lord,” said Nessus, whose blood was now up with the chase.  “Should you fall to stop him, drop on one knee that I may shoot over you.”

For some fifty yards the ledge continued unbroken.  Malchus moved along cautiously, with his arrow in the string and his shield shifted round his shoulder, in readiness for instant action.  Suddenly, upon turning a sharp corner of the cliff, he saw it widened ten feet ahead into a sort of platform lying in the angle of the cliff, which beyond it again jutted out.  On this platform was a bear, which with an angry growl at once advanced towards him.  Malchus discharged his arrow; it struck the bear full on the chest, and penetrated deeply.  With a stroke of his paw the animal broke the shaft asunder and rushed forward.  Malchus threw forward the point of his spear, and with his shield on his arm awaited the onset He struck the bear fairly on the chest, but, as before, it snapped the shaft with its paw, and rising to its feet advanced.

“Kneel, my lord!” Nessus exclaimed.

Malchus dropped on one knee, bracing himself as firmly as he could against the rock, and, with his shield above his head and his sword in his hand, awaited the attack of the enraged animal.  He heard the twang of the bow behind him; then he felt a mighty blow, which beat down his shield and descended with terrible force upon his helmet, throwing him forward on to his face.  Then there was a heavy blow on his back; and it was well for him that he had on backpiece as well as breastplate, or the flesh would have been torn from his shoulder to his loins.  As the blow fell there was an angry roar.  For a moment he felt crushed by a weight which fell upon him.  This was suddenly removed, and he heard a crash far below as the bear, pierced to the heart by the Arab’s spear, fell over the precipice.  Nessus hastened to raise him.