eral of the members.
Black Bruin thought he had never tasted anything in his life quite so
delicious as beaver-meat.

White Nose also taught him how to lie in wait for the deer in a clump
of bushes by some pathway that they were in the habit of following, or
by the lick, or perhaps by a spring where they often came to drink, and
then, before they suspected their presence, to make a sudden rush.

She showed him a hollow birch-stub, in which a family of raccoons
dwelt, and together they set to work to destroy the household of their
own smaller brother. They dug and tore at the base of the stub until
they had undermined it, and then together pushed it over.

At first the raccoon family were much astonished and terrified at the
commotion outside their dwelling, and when finally the house came down,
three sleek raccoons fled in as many directions. White Nose secured
one and Black Bruin another, while the third escaped.

The last thing in the autumn, before they denned up, the two bears made
a long journey of several days to the nearest settlement, where they
killed several sheep, and also carried off two small pigs. In this
stealing, Black Bruin took the lead, for he knew much better the ways
of man, and the danger from his thunder and lightning than did his
companion.

Upon this good supply of mutton and pork they laid on the final layers
of fat, and then returned to their wilderness and denned up for the
winter.

CHAPTER XII

THE KING OF THE MOUNTAIN

The following spring, when Black Bruin came forth from hibernation, he
went one day's journey nearer to the settlements and took up
headquarters in a rugged and heavily timbered series of mountains,
which were admirably adapted to his purpose.

Whenever he awoke during his winter nap he still tasted pork and mutton
from the autumn raid. Henceforth he must have more of that diet. So
the reason for his changing his base of operations will be readily
seen. One day's journey would carry him back into the wilderness, with
its fine resources for fishing and hunting, while a day's travel in the
opposite direction would bring him to the outskirts of the settlements,
within easy striking distance of plunder.

At his first meeting with White Nose, he found her most unresponsive to
his advances, considering the fact that they had come and gone together
all through the autumn. The reason for her indifference was soon
discovered, for Black Bruin saw that she had