ay
with us to-night?"

This invitation was given with great cordiality, and Sam would have been
glad to accept it, but he declined, through consideration for the brave
couple, who would certainly be put to inconvenience by entertaining
three visitors.

Sam thanked her for her kindness, and, rising to go, drew back the door
and remarked:

"I notice you have a good rifle over the mantle; I don't see how your
husband can get much time to use it."

"He doesn't; it is I who shoot the game, which saves half the cost of
food; but," added the plucky little woman, "there is one game which I am
very anxious to bring down."

"What is that?"

"_A bear._"

"Do you know whether there are any in the woods?"

"There is one, and I think more. My husband has seen it twice, and he
took the gun with him when going to work, in the hope of gaining a
chance to shoot it; but, when I caught sight of it on the edge of the
clearing, he thought it best to leave the rifle for me to use."

"Why are you so anxious to shoot the bear?" asked Sam.

"Well, it isn't a very pleasant neighbor, and I have to keep little
Tommy in the house all the time for fear the brute will seize him. Then,
beside that, the bear has carried off some of Mr. Bailey's (that's the
man my husband works for) pigs, and has so frightened his family that
Mr. Bailey said he would give us twenty dollars for the hide of every
bear we brought him."

"I hope it may be your fortune to shoot all in the woods," said Sam, as
he bade her good-day again, and passed out and across the clearing into
the forest.

"That's about the bravest woman I ever saw," said the lad to himself, as
he moved thoughtfully in the direction of the limestone-rock, where it
was agreed the three should meet to spend the night; "she ought to win,
and if this crowd of bear hunters succeed in bagging the old fellow we
will present him to her."

The thought was a pleasing one to Sam, who walked a short way farther,
when he added, with a grim smile, "But I don't think that bear will lose
any night's sleep on account of being disturbed by _this_ crowd."

CHAPTER XX.

BOWSER PROVES HIMSELF OF SOME USE.

Sam Harper saw, from the position of the sun in the heavens, that he had
stayed longer than he intended to in the cabin, and the short afternoon
was drawing to a close.

He therefore moved at a brisk walk for a quarter of a mile, Bowser
trotting at his heels as though he thought such a laborio