der, and delight at Steve's return.

"Why, Watty, what's the matter?" cried Steve. "I do believe he's
crying. Get up. Did you think I was dead?"

"Yes, we all tought you wass teat, an' I tought the pear wass come to
eat me, ant--ant--ant--she's ferry clad to see you acain, though she
don't like you."

"Well, you are a rum chap, Watty! I say, you didn't mind my snatching
away that meat? I couldn't help it, I was nearly starved."

"No, she ton't mind," replied the lad. "She'd hat a little pit o' meat
pefore. But she's all scratted, an' her het pleets, an' she's cot no
skin on her knuckles!"

"Oh, never mind that! I got away--escaped. But it was very bad."

"Put it wass ferry pad! What wass ferry pad?"

"Having a couple of bears after you."

"An' she had twa pears after her?"

"Yes, monsters. They hunted me all along a gully right up into the
mountain."

"Hey! An' tid they catch her?"

"No; one got tired and stopped, but the other came right on to where it
was all ice and snow. Up yonder," said Steve, pointing to the
glittering slopes and peaks far above their heads.

"An' what tid that one to? Tid she ket tired?"

"No," said Steve. "I made a jump to get up a steep bit of the ice,
caught hold, and then fell right on to the bear as it was coming up
after me."

"Hey, tid she, though?"

"Yes; and knocked it off the slope, and we went down together for a
little way rolling over and over. Then I found I was alone, for the
bear had clawed about and stopped itself; but I was sliding and slipping
there down and down, I don't know how far, but it must have been
hundreds of feet over the steep snow, till I rolled over among the
stones and cut my head."

"Hey, and she has cut it! Hadn't she petter tie it up?"

"Oh, that's nothing."

"Put what tid the pear to?"

"I don't know. I didn't see any more of it. I suppose it's up there in
the mountain somewhere. I say, Watty, I wish I'd had Skeny with me. I
don't know, though; perhaps the bears would have killed him. Where are
the others?"

"They're gone to leuk for you. She's waiting for them to come pack."

"Have they got Skeny with them? He ought to have scented me out, so
that they could have shot the bears."

"Skeny? Na; she tidn't see the tog."

Steve started.

"Why, Watty, I don't remember seeing him when we turned back with the
deer; did you?"

"Na, she tidn't see the tog since she rin after a teer. She wass going
ferry fas