gh
the trees, till warned by Dad to "keep our eyes about;" then we settled
down, and Joe found the first bear. It was on an ironbark tree, around
the base of which we soon were clamouring.

"Up y' go!" Dad said, cheerfully helping Dave and the tomahawk into the
first fork.

Dave ascended and crawled cautiously along the limb the bear was on and
began to chop. WE armed ourselves with heavy sticks and waited. The
dog sat on his tail and stared and whined at the bear. The limb
cracked, and Dave ceased chopping and shouted "Look out!" We shouldered
arms. The dog was in a hurry. He sprang in the air and landed on his
back. But Dave had to make another nick or two. Then with a loud
crack the limb parted and came sweeping down. The dog jumped to meet
it. He met it, and was laid out on the grass. The bear scrambled to
its feet and made off towards Bill. Bill squealed and fell backwards
over a log. Dad rushed in and kicked the bear up like a football. It
landed near Joe. Joe's eyes shone with the hunter's lust of blood. He
swung his stick for a tremendous blow--swung it mightily and high--and
nearly knocked his parent's head off. When Dad had spat blood enough
to make sure that he had only lost one tooth, he hunted Joe; but Joe
was too fleet, as usual.

Meanwhile, the bear had run up another tree--about the tallest old gum
in the paddock. Dad snapped his fingers angrily and cried: "Where the
devil was the DOG?"

"Oh, where the devil wuz the DORG?" Dave growled, sliding down the
tree--"where th' devil wuz YOU? Where wuz the lot o' y'?"

"Ah, well!" Dad said "--there's plenty more we can get. Come along."
And off we went. The dog pulled himself together and limped after us.

Bears were plentiful enough, but we wandered far before we found
another on a tree that Dave could climb, and, when we DID, somehow or
other the limb broke when he put his weight on it, and down he came,
bear and all. Of course we were not ready, and that bear, like the
other, got up another tree. But Dave did n't. He lay till Dad ran
about two miles down a gully to a dam and filled his hat with muddy
water and came tearing back with it empty--till Anderson and Mother
came and helped to carry him home.

We did n't go out any more after bears. Dave, when he was able, went
and got Maloney's colt and put him in the plough. And, after he had
kicked Dad and smashed all the swingle-trees about the place, and got
right out of his har