le Henry,
Ross, and Jim Hart were fishing, Paul and Shif'less Sol sat together in
the house.

"This snow is goin' to last a long time, Paul," said Sol, "an' we've got
to stay here till at least most o' it's gone. The warriors won't be
movin', nor will we. While we're idlin', I wish we had three or four o'
them books that your father an' Mr. Pennypacker brought over the mountains
with 'em."

"So do I," said Paul, with a sigh. He was thinking of an interminable
romance, translated from the French of a certain Mademoiselle de Scudery,
which his teacher, Mr. Pennypacker, had among his possessions, and which
he had once secretly shown to Paul, who was his favorite pupil. But he
added, resignedly: "You'd never find a book in all this region up here,
Sol. We'd better make up our minds to some monotonous days."

Shif'less Sol had been leaning lazily against a heap of firewood, and
suddenly he sat up with a look of interest in his eyes. His acute ear had
detected a sound on the hill above them--a faint crunching in the snow.

"It's one o' the boys, I s'pose," he said. "Now, I wonder what he wants
to be tramping around in the deep snow up thar fur."

"Yes, I hear him," said Paul, "and he's lumbering about queerly."

"He's comin' down toward the house," said Shif'less Sol. "Now, what in
thunder is that?"

There was the sound of an angry "snuff!" a sudden, wild threshing in the
snow, and the next instant a tremendous weight struck the roof of their
house. A rending of bark and thatch followed, and a massive black form
shot down into the center of the room and lay there a moment, stunned.
Paul, too, was dizzy. He had been struck a glancing blow on the shoulder
by the big black body in its fall, and hurled into a heap of furs.
Shif'less Sol had been sent spinning in another direction.

When both rose to their feet the big black body also rose, growling
savagely and extending long, powerful paws, armed with cruel claws. A
bear, prowling in the snow, had fallen through the roof of their house,
and it was furiously angry.

"Jump back, Paul, jump back!" shouted Shif'less Sol, "an' get to the door,
ef you kin!"

Paul obeyed a part of his command instinctively and sprang away, just in
time to escape the cruel claws. But he was compelled to press against the
wall. The enraged animal was between him and the door. Shif'less Sol
himself was darting here and there in an effort to keep out of the way.
Both Paul's rifle and Shif'less