hat was curious, and if it had been anybody else we should
undoubtedly have asked him why he was leaving the feast at that time in
the evening. Had we done so, it might have saved a lot of trouble. As it
was, we only snarled back at him as he passed snarling by us, and went
on our way. We were very careful, however, and took a long time to make
our way out of the trees down to the edge of the bushes; but there was
no sound to make us uneasy, nor any smell of man in such wind as blew.
Of course we took care to approach the patch at the farthest point from
where we had heard the thunder-stick on the night before. It was a
cloudy night, and the moon shone only at intervals. Taking advantage of
a passing cloud, we slipped out from the cover of the trees into the
berry-bushes. We could see no other bears, but they might be hidden by
the clouds. In a minute, however, the moon shone out, and had there
been any others there--at least, as far out from the edge as
ourselves--we must have been able to see them. Certainly, alas! we were
seen, for even as I was looking round the patch in the first ray of the
moonlight to see if any of our friends were there, the thunder-stick
rang out again, and once more we plunged for the trees. But this time
the sound was much nearer, and there was a second report before we were
well into the shadow, and then a third. So terrified were we that there
was no thought of stopping, but after we got into the woods we kept
straight on as fast as we could go, father and mother in front, I next,
and Kahwa behind; and none of us looked back, for we heard the shouts of
men and the crashing of branches as they ran, and again and again the
thunder-stick spoke.

Suddenly I became aware that Kahwa was not behind me. I stopped and
looked round, but she was nowhere to be seen. I remembered having heard
her give a sudden squeal, as if she had trodden on something sharp, but
I had paid no attention to it at the time. Now I became frightened, and
called to father and mother to stop. They were a long way ahead, and it
was some time before I could get near enough to attract their attention
and tell them that Kahwa was missing.

Mother wished to charge straight down the hill again at the men,
thunder-sticks or no thunder-sticks; but father dissuaded her, and at
last we began to retrace our steps cautiously, keeping our ears and
noses open for any sign either of Kahwa or of man. As we came near the
edge of the wood, no