,
rode on; the last man who had spoken bantering his companion on their
defeat. I saw the other turn his head several times as though not quite
sure that we should not fire after him.

"I am glad they didn't come upon our camp this morning, although as they
have no blood-hounds with them, we might have managed to conceal the
negro without having had resort to force," I remarked.

"But we should have had to tell lies if they had put questions to us, or
have given him up or fought for him," observed Dan.

"Still better reason why we should be thankful that they did not find
us," I answered.

We were so excited by what had occurred that we slackened our speed for
a considerable way. We were still several miles from home when night
overtook us; we had therefore again to camp out. We did not mind this,
but we were anxious to get to the farm, to send assistance to our tutor
and the poor black. According to our usual plan, we built a shanty,
lighted a fire, and one of us sat up to keep the latter blazing. We
heard strange sounds during the night, which kept us wakeful, and during
my watch I caught sight of a bear, though the fire made him keep at a
respectful distance. After surveying us for a few minutes, and not
discovering any tempting odour, he slunk away, convinced that he would
gain nothing by paying us a visit. When I roused up Dan, I told him to
keep a look-out, lest bruin should come back, and lay down to snatch a
short sleep, expecting to be roused up again before long. Dan, however,
saw nothing during his watch to induce him to call me, so I had my sleep
out. I was awakened by feeling him shaking my shoulder.

"It is near morning, Mike, I think," he said; "I suspect that I must
have nodded, for the fire is lower than it should be, but I have thrown
on some sticks and it will soon be blazing up again."

I sprang to my feet just in time to see a big shaggy beast emerging from
the surrounding darkness. I gave a poke to the fire with my foot, it
made some dry leaves burst into a flame, and then Dan and I both shouted
at the top of our voices. The bear, who had again scented us out, might
in another instant have caught Dan or me in his unfriendly embrace; but
he stopped short, and then, turning round, retreated much faster than he
had come. We did not fire, as we should probably only have wounded him
and have excited him to rage.

Soon after this daylight broke. Having eaten the remainder of our
prov