hat instant their hair and eyebrows and
eyelashes were frosted over. The squeaking went on. "Some creature
must be among the pigs," cried Rob. "Run back for the gun, David, I'll
go and see."

While David went in to get the gun, Rob, with a thick stick and a
lantern in his hand, hurried down to the pig-sty. One fine porker lay
bleeding on the ground, and another was not to be seen. A faint squeak
from the forest on one side showed where he was gone. Rob calling on
David to follow, ran on in the hopes of catching the thief. He hadn't
got far when the light of the lantern fell on the back of a
shaggy-haired beast, which he at once knew to be that of a bear. In its
fore-paws it carried the missing porker, which still sent forth a
piteous cry for help. Rob soon overtook the bear and gave him a no
gentle tap on the back of his head. Bruin, not liking this, dropped the
pig and turned round to face Rob, while piggie, having still the use of
his legs, ran off towards his sty. The bear seemed resolved to vent his
rage on Rob, who stood ready to receive him with his thick stick,
flourishing it before his face. With a loud growl the angry bear sprang
on Rob. "Fire! fire!" cried Rob, "he is biting my shoulder."

David was afraid of hitting his brother, he did not therefore fire till
he got close up to them, and then, putting the gun to the bear's head,
he pulled the trigger. Over rolled the creature, and Rob was set free.
He was much hurt, but his thick coat had saved him from a worse wound.
The snow was hard, so that they were able to drag the carcase over it to
the house. One of the pigs was so much hurt that Rob was obliged to
kill it, while the other, which had been carried off, escaped without
much damage. After doctoring the cow they appeared at home with their
prize. It made more than amends for the loss of the pig; for in Canada,
in winter, it matters not how much meat is in store, as once frozen it
will keep till the warm weather returns. Often people have a dozen
turkeys and twice as many fowls, and small animals, and fish hanging up
in their larders, at once. In the markets, fish, flesh, and fowl are
also sold in a frozen state. The bear was quickly skinned and cut up,
but he was frozen almost hard before the work was finished.

The next day Rob's shoulder hurt him so much that he was obliged to stay
at home. Susan and his mother doctored it as best they could, but he
did not get better. At last th