Whether or not he had done so I could not tell, but suddenly I was awakened by feeling the branches at my side roughly shaken; and looking up, what was my dismay to see, by the moonlight streaming through the wood, a big brown bear poking his nose through the bushes, and not live feet from us!  Giving Mike a nudge with my elbow, I grasped my spear, and rising on my knee, without a moment's consideration as to what might be the result, I thrust the spear with all my might into the bear's chest.  With a fierce growl and open jaws it rushed at me,--as it did so, driving the spear still further into its body; whilst I, expecting the movement, sprang to the inner end of our arbour.