in the side. This was too
much for bruin, and with a rocking motion he staggered forward a
few steps and then pitched on his head, dead.

"We've got him! We've got him!" yelled the small youth, dancing
around wildly and flinging his cap into the air. "Isn't this the
dandy luck?"

"Did you get the pictures?" questioned Snap, leaping down the rocks
to where the game lay.

"We sure did," answered the doctor's son. "And I've got one of you
aiming your gun right at the bear. I tilted the camera up a little
to get it."

"What a fine bear!" cried Giant.

"We never got a better," answered Snap. "Oh, this is certainly prime
luck!"

"We'll have to take some more pictures---of our game," said Shep,
and without delay they took several plates and films---the two
cameras being of each kind. All the boys were in the pictures, and
of these photographs they were justly proud.

"Now, the question is, what are we going to do with the bear?"
said Snap. "We can't drag such a load to our camp."

"We'll have to skin the animal and take what meat we want," answered
the doctor's son. "It's too bad to leave so much behind, but it
can't be helped. It won't keep in this weather, anyway."

"If only Jed Sanborn was here---he might take some of it home."

"I'll tell you what we can do," said Giant. "Try to drag the
carcass---or a big part of it---up to the lion's pit. It will
help to feed that beast until the circus folks come."

"That's an idea," said Shep. "And if we keep the lion well fed he
won't try so hard to get away. Menagerie animals are always lazy
when well fed---one of the keepers told me that. They only get
restless when they are hungry."

It took the boys some time to skin the dead bear and cut away such
meat as they thought they could tote along. The rest of the meat
they hung in a tree, thinking they might possibly come back for it
later. Then they started once more for camp.

"I hope the Spink crowd hasn't been bothering Whopper and Tommy
since we have been away," said Snap. "If they have-----"

"Don't borrow trouble," interrupted the doctor's son. "Wait till
it comes."

With their heavy loads, they made slow progress through the woods,
and they were glad when they reached the lion pit and could dispose
of some of the bear meat. The lion greeted them with a roar, but
that was all. He had not yet eaten the second wildcat; nevertheless,
they threw to him a chunk of the bear meat, the fresh bloo