uiting the action to the
word.

Tom fully understood the necessity, and followed suit, first hazarding a
glance at the discomfited bear.

When the grizzly witnessed the escape of his victim he showed no
excitement, nor did he accelerate his motions. He began deliberately to
back down the tree. This required some little time, which Tom and his
friend made the most of.

"Give me your rifle," said Onthank.

"I'd rather keep it," said Tom.

"I can make better use of it," said the Yankee.

"I don't know about that," said Tom. "At any rate I will keep it."

He felt that it was hardly reasonable to expect him, in the presence of
such a danger, to give up his only instrument of defence.

"You are only a boy," said his companion, discontented.

"I can shoot," answered Tom, briefly.

Onthank was not in general an unreasonable man, but danger makes men
selfish.

"Give it to me," he said, in a tone of authority, and he tried to wrest
it from Tom's hands.

"You shall not have it," exclaimed Tom, indignantly. "Take away your
hand, or I'll shoot you!"

Of course Tom was excited, and would not have carried out his threat,
but he was fully resolved to stand up for his rights.

Whether Ebenezer would have yielded the point, being stronger than Tom,
is uncertain; but our hero shouted "Look out for the bear!" and the
Yankee, in alarm, released his hold, and the two entered upon a race, in
which the Yankee's superior length of limb enabled him to keep the first
place.

Bruin was now on terra firma, and was on his way, wagging his great
head, developing an alarming rate of speed. Tom was somewhat hampered
by the weapon which he carried, and he was getting out of breath.
Onthank was three or four rods ahead of him. The situation had changed,
and it was now Tom that was in the greater peril.

"Don't give out, Tom!" called out Ebenezer, encouragingly.

"I won't," gasped Tom, "if I can help it."

"Is he gaining on us?"

"Yes," returned our hero.

"Then I'll try another tree," said Onthank, and he caught a branch, and
clambered up into a tree quite similar to the other in which he had been
besieged.

Tom would gladly have followed his example, but the branch was too high
for him to reach readily, and the grizzly was too near to give him
adequate time. Poor boy! He began to despair, and was at an utter loss
what to do. To face round and fire at the foe seemed about all that was
left him, but he wanted to reserve his fi