curiosity rather than a savage ardor,
and the whole attitude of the creature lifted upon its hind legs was
circus-like and ludicrous rather than aggressive. She was enabled to say
with some dignity, "Go away! Shoo!" and to wave her luncheon basket at
it with exemplary firmness. But here the creature laid one paw on the
back seat as if to steady itself, with the singular effect of collapsing
the whole side of the wagon, and then opened its mouth as if in some
sort of inarticulate reply. But the revelation of its red tongue,
its glistening teeth, and, above all, the hot, suggestive fume of its
breath, brought the first scream from the lips of Miss Amy. It was real
and convincing; the horses joined in it; the three screamed together!
The bear hesitated for an instant, then, catching sight of the honey-pot
on the front seat, which the shrinking-back of the young girl had
disclosed, he slowly reached forward his other paw and attempted to
grasp it. This exceedingly simple movement, however, at once doubled
up the front seat, sent the honey-pot a dozen feet into the air, and
dropped Miss Amy upon her knees in the bed of the wagon. The combined
mental and physical shock was too much for her; she instantly and
sincerely fainted; the last thing in her ears amidst this wreck of
matter being the "wheep" of a bullet and the sharp crack of a rifle.

*****

She recovered her consciousness in the flickering light of a fire of
bark, that played upon the rafters of a roof thatched with bark and upon
a floor of strewn and shredded bark. She even suspected she was lying
upon a mattress of bark underneath the heavy bearskin she could feel
and touch. She had a delicious sense of warmth, and, mingled with this
strange spicing of woodland freedom, even a sense of home protection.
And surely enough, looking around, she saw her father at her side.

He briefly explained the situation. They had been at first attracted by
the cry of the frightened horses and their plunging, which they could
see distinctly, although they saw nothing else. "But, Mr. Tenbrook"--

"Mr. Who?" said Amy, staring at the rafters.

"The owner of this cabin--the man who helped us--caught up his gun, and,
calling us to follow, ran like lightning down the trail. At first we
followed blindly, and unknowingly, for we could only see the struggling
horses, who, however, seemed to be ALONE, and the wagon from which you
did not seem to have stirred. Then, for the first time, my