was a young bear. An older
or more wary animal might not have ventured into the camp where it knew
there were human beings as this bear's scent surely must have told it.
Perhaps it scented something good to eat. It was in a panic at the present
moment and went into a worse one after a rap from the hard wood chair rung
in the hands of Crazy Jane McCarthy. Jane was doing a great deal of
shouting, too. The two girls continued to chase the beast around the
campfire. Jasper was bearing down on them, having discovered where the
trouble lay.

"Run, you kids! It's a b'ar!" he yelled. "No, hold him till I git thar."

"Yes, we'll hold him," flung back Jane.

Just at this moment Harriet struck the bear's hip with the torch. There
was a sizzle of hair. Uttering a terrifying growl of fright Bruin suddenly
straightened out and took the direct trail for the stream.

"Hold him! I told ye to hold him!" roared Jasper.

"Oh, listen to the man!" gasped Jane.

Jasper seeing that the beast was going to cross the stream, ran on an
oblique line hoping to head the animal off. In his excitement he hurled
his axe through the air, the tool falling short of its mark by several
yards.

Harriet Burrell was still on the trail, her slippers left behind her, her
bare feet scarcely touching the ground.

"Look out for the creek!" shouted Jasper.

Harriet in her excitement did not heed what he was saying. The bear, after
a brief hesitation on the bank before jumping, landed in the creek with a
splash. Then a few seconds later there came a second splash. Harriet
uttered a little cry of alarm as she felt herself going into the creek and
cried out again when the cold water enveloped her.

By this time the bear was scrambling up the opposite bank. A few seconds
later he was leaping into the depths of the forest, his back humped,
looking in the half light like a great round black ball.

Jane hearing the splashes knew instantly what had occurred to both the
bear and Harriet. She also knew that she was going to land in the creek,
too. With quick presence of mind Crazy Jane threw herself on her back and
went slipping and sliding into the stream feet first. She landed with a
splash, and sat down heavily on the bottom of the stream.

CHAPTER XXIII

HARRIET'S GRAVE MISTAKE

"Is that you, Jane?" cried Harriet, splashing toward the spot where the
third splash had been heard.

Jane gazed about her in comical dismay.

"Oh, what a mess! A frisk