Mike in a moment was on his knees,--he had not time to rise to his feet,--and seizing his weapon, drove it into the bear's neck.  Still the creature, though thus desperately wounded, broke through the branches we had put up; but the thick leaves prevented it from seeing us as clearly as it would otherwise have done.  The life-blood was flowing from its wounds.  Mike managed, as I had done, to get out of Bruin's way; and before the creature could turn to pursue either of us, over it fell, on the very ground on which we had been sleeping.  It struggled for a few seconds, gnashing its teeth, and I had to retreat through the branches to avoid it.  Mike, who had managed to escape at the other end, now joined me, and getting hold of the handle of his spear, endeavoured to pull it out of the bear's body.  After a few tugs he succeeded in regaining possession of his weapon; and the first thing he did with it was to plunge it again into the animal's breast.