An epic narrative poem dramatizes the ordeal of a man grievously mauled by a bear and abandoned by his companions, then forced to endure injury, solitude, and the wilderness as he crawls back toward civilization, motivated by survival and a quest for retribution. Rich river-and-plains imagery and scenes of camps, boats, and encounters with indigenous peoples evoke the early fur-trade landscape, while reflective passages examine courage, endurance, and the harsh logic of frontier existence. Accompanying notes and an introductory essay provide historical background and frame the narrative within regional oral and exploratory traditions.