use I was the boy, but Wenonah
said she had better because she was the biggest."

"Then," continued Wenonah, "as it soon got very dark, and none of you
came for us, we began to cry, and we could not help it, for there we
were all alone in that hollow tree in the dark.

"After a while a big owl in one of the trees began to call. I knew what
it was for Mustagan had taught me. At first Roddy said it was somebody
calling him."

Again Roddy, who was now nestling in his mother's arms, spoke up and
said:

"I thought it was somebody saying to me, `Who, who, who!' and I said,
`We are Roddy and Wenonah Ross, and we are lost.'

"Then, when it called again, it only said:--

"`Oo! oo! oo!' So then we knew what it was, as we had often heard it at
night here at home."

"We were glad to hear it," said Wenonah, "for all was now so dark and
lonely. We could not lie down; we just had to stand up there all night.
I held Roddy up as well as I could. Once we heard the cry of the wild
cat, and that made us keep very still. I must have nodded some, as I
leaned against the inside of that old tree, but it was an awful long
night, and we were glad when it was light enough to see. Then we left
that old hollow tree, and took up our dishes, and as we were very hungry
we went out among the berry-bushes and ate some of the berries. We were
careful to leave no tracks, because of that wild cat. We ate a lot of
berries, but we did miss our good breakfast at home. We filled our
dishes, and then started for home; but we could not find it. While we
were going on among the bushes we came out into a little opening, and
there were the two little bears. We thought at first they were two
little black dogs. They came right up to us, and when they sat up so
funnily on their little hind legs we saw they were bears, and of course
we were afraid.

"Then they came and smelled our baskets of berries, and as we held them
out to them they seemed very hungry, and at once began eating."

"But they were so greedy; they were worse than little piggies," said
little Roderick; "they made such funny little noises all the time they
were eating."

"But," continued Wenonah, "that sound of theirs seemed to call the old
bears, that we had not yet seen. They came rushing through the bushes,
and we were so frightened we could not even cry out or let go of our
baskets.

"When they rushed at us the little bears, that were between them and us,
seemed to think