The bough rocked.

The wounded monster was reeling; it clung, it stuck its sickles of claws deep into the wood; it toppled, its claws held firm, but its body rolled off, and the sudden shock to the branch shook Gerard forward on his stomach with his face upon one of the bear's straining paws.

At this, by a convulsive effort, she raised her head up, up, till he felt her hot fetid breath.

Then huge teeth snapped together loudly close below him in the air, with a last effort of baffled hate.

The ponderous carcass rent the claws out of the bough, then pounded the earth with a tremendous thump.