o's timely nip that had
brought him to a sudden halt, and allowed Hughie to make his climb in
safety.

"Good dog, Fido. Sic him! Sic him, old fellow!" cried out Hughie, but
Fido was new to this kind of warfare, and at every jump of the raging
brute he fled into the brush with his tail between his legs, returning,
however, to the attack as the bear retired.

After driving Fido off, the bear rushed at the tree, and in a fury began
tearing up its roots. Then, as if realizing the futility of this, he
flung himself upon its trunk and began shaking it with great violence
from side to side.

Hughie soon saw that the tree would not long stand such an attack. He
slipped down to the lowest bough so that his weight might be taken from
the swaying top, and encouraging Fido, awaited results.

He found himself singularly cool. Having escaped immediate danger, the
hunter's instinct awoke within him, and he longed to get that bear.
If he only had his gun, he would soon settle him, but the bear,
unfortunately, had possession of that. He began hurriedly to cut off as
stout a branch as he could to make himself a club. He was not a moment
too soon, for the bear, realizing that he could neither tear up the tree
by the roots nor shake his enemy out of it, decided, apparently, to go
up for him.

He first set himself to get rid of Fido, which he partially succeeded
in doing by chasing him a long distance off. Then, with a great rush, he
flew at the tree, and with amazing rapidity began to climb.

Hughie, surprised by this swift attack, hastened to climb to the higher
branches, but in a moment he saw that this would be fatal. Remembering
that the bear is like the dog in his sensitive parts, he descended to
meet his advancing foe, and reaching down, hit him a sharp blow on
the snout. With a roar of rage and surprise the bear let go his
hold, slipped to the ground, and began to tear up the earth, sneezing
violently.

"Oh, if I only had that gun," groaned Hughie, "I'd get him. And if he
gets away after Fido again, I believe I'll try it."

The bear now set himself to plan some new form of attack. He had been
wounded, but only enough to enrage him, and his fury served to fix more
firmly in his head the single purpose of getting into his grip this
enemy of his in the tree, whom he appeared to have so nearly at his
mercy.

Whatever his new plan might be, a necessary preliminary was getting rid
of Fido, and this he proceeded to do. Round ab