t he
thought that it would be pleasant to take a walk.

"You can go, if you like, Tom," said Ferguson, with characteristic
caution. "I will remain behind to look after the camp."

"All right, Mr. Ferguson. I'll soon be back."

"Don't go too far away, my lad; and mind your bearings, so that you can
find your way back."

"Never fear, Mr. Ferguson. It wouldn't be very easy to be lost here.
I'll keep my eyes open, and bring Mr. Onthank back with me if I see him
anywhere."

Ferguson sat down, and indulged himself in reading, probably for the
hundredth time, Walter Scott's Marmion, of which he had a small pocket
edition; while Tom went on his way.

A fortunate chance directed our hero by an almost straight course to the
very tree where Ebenezer Onthank was still perched with the grizzly
standing guard beneath. From time to time he looked about him anxiously,
in the hope of seeing the approach of one of his travelling companions.

It was with a feeling of joy, not wholly unmingled with anxiety, that he
descried Tom descending a hillock not many rods away. As yet it was
evident that our hero had not caught sight of the bear and his prisoner.
It was very necessary to put him on his guard.

"Tom!" shouted Mr. Onthank, at the top of his voice.

Tom heard the call in spite of the distance, and looked about him, but
did not immediately catch sight of the speaker. It did not occur to him
to look upwards.

"Tom!" shouted the Yankee again. "Here I am. Look up in the tree."

That time Tom's glance detected his companion, and, not yet having
discovered the bear, he was led to wonder why Mr. Onthank had climbed
the tree. As he was advancing incautiously, Onthank shouted again,
"There's a cursed grizzly under the tree. Don't come too near."

Tom saw the bear, and he paused suddenly. He was startled in truth, for
he had been long enough in California to be aware that it was a
dangerous beast.

"Isn't Ferguson with you?" asked Onthank, anxiously, for he knew that a
boy of sixteen, even if armed, was no match for the king of the
California sierras.

"No, he's behind in the camp," shouted Tom, in reply.

By this time the bear became aware that there was a second intruder
within his precincts. He turned his head deliberately and surveyed our
hero. It is not within the range of the author to read the thoughts of a
grizzly, but, from the indifference with which he turned away and
resumed his watch, it may be inferred that he co