made for a tree which stood near me. I was a good climber,
and in a minute I was stowed away safely in the branches. But I had
hardly reached my position when the bear came running up to the tree,
and began walking round and round it, stopping every few seconds to
raise himself up on his hind feet and take a look at me, or else
stretching up against the tree as far as he could reach, as if he
hesitated climbing up after me.

"I had a jack-knife with me, and I cut off a limb, which I trimmed into
something like a club, to defend myself with if he concluded to come up
and make a visit. Whenever he showed a desire to do so, by reaching up
his great black paws and tearing away at the bark with his claws, I
pounded my club against the body of the tree as far down as I could
reach toward him, and that frightened him enough to keep him from
climbing.

"But I couldn't frighten him away. He kept walking round and round the
tree growling and whining very much like a dog, and I made up my mind
that he had concluded to wait for me to come down. But I had no notion
of doing that yet a while.

"Two or three hours went by. I wondered what your grandmother would
think had happened to me. I knew she would be frightened almost to
death, and that worried me, but I saw no way of getting out of the
difficulty I had got into, and concluded I should have to spend the
night in the tree.

"By and by the moon came up. I could see him distinctly then, as he kept
up his march around me. He was an enormous fellow, and a man would have
stood but little chance for his life with him unless he had been well
armed.

"Well, he kept watch of me all night. He got tired of walking, by and
by, and laid down close to the tree. Whenever I stirred, he would rouse
up and resume his walk. Neither of us slept. You may be sure it was a
long night to me. I couldn't help thinking of your poor grandmother, and
wondering what she was doing.

"At last morning came. I thought the bear would be sure to take his
departure then, but he evidently had made up his mind to see the thing
out, for he made no effort to leave.

"It must have been about seven o'clock when I heard some one hallooing
not far off, and, peering through the branches, I saw your grandmother,
with my gun on her shoulder. She had started out to look for me. I saw
that the bear had not discovered her, and I shouted:

"'Don't come any nearer, Susan. I'm up the hickory tree, and there's a
big bear a