he boys. In an
instant the transformation took place, and two creatures, neither
beast nor human, stood before the chief.

[Illustration: HOW THE BOYS WERE HALF TURNED INTO BEARS]

Now the bear chief of course knew that the boys' father would seek for
his sons when they did not return home, so he sent another of his
servants to the hiding-place at the fork of the trail to see what
would happen. He had not waited long, when the father came in sight,
stooping as he went to look for his sons' tracks in the snow. When he
saw the marks of snow-shoes along the path on the right he was filled
with joy, not knowing that the servant had made some fresh tracks on
purpose to mislead him; and he hastened forward so fast that he fell
headlong into a pit, where the bear was sitting. Before he could pick
himself up the bear had quietly broken his neck, and, hiding the body
under the snow, sat down to see if anyone else would pass that way.

Meanwhile the mother at home was wondering what had become of her two
sons, and as the hours went on, and their father never returned, she
made up her mind to go and look for him. The youngest boy begged her
to let him undertake the search, but she would not hear of it, and
told him he must stay at home and take care of his sister. So,
slipping on her snow-shoes, she started on her way.

As no fresh snow had fallen, the trail was quite easy to find, and she
walked straight on, till it led her up to the pit where the bear was
waiting for her. He grasped her as she fell and broke her neck, after
which he laid her in the snow beside her husband, and went back to
tell the bear chief.

Hour after hour dragged heavily by in the forest hut, and at last the
brother and sister felt quite sure that in some way or other all the
rest of the family had perished. Day after day the boy climbed to the
top of a tall tree near the house, and sat there till he was almost
frozen, looking on all sides through the forest openings, hoping that
he might see someone coming along. Very soon all the food in the house
was eaten, and he knew he would have to go out and hunt for more.
Besides, he wished to seek for his parents.

The little girl did not like being left alone in the hut, and cried
bitterly; but her brother told her that there was no use sitting down
quietly to starve, and that whether he found any game or not he would
certainly be back before the following night. Then he cut himself some
arrows, each fro