Didn't I?" exclaimed Sandy. "What did you do with the ones you
were carrying?"

"Why," replied Thede, "I guess I left 'em in the thicket where we
stood when we made a hop-skip-and-jump for the tree."

"We certainly are a bright mess!" cried Sandy.

"Say," Thede said in a moment, "I'll just bet that's what kept the
bears so still while we've been up here building the fire. They've
been eating our fish! That's why we couldn't get sight of them!"

"Can you see the bears now?" asked Sandy. "I'm sure I can't!"

"They're still back in there eating our trout!' wailed Thede.

"Unless you want a leg burned off," advised Sandy, "you'd better
work around on another limb!"

"Aw, this limb is all right!" argued Thede.

The light from the fire now illuminated quite a little circle
around the tree, and the boys saw 0je sliding cautiously down the
trunk of the tree where he had taken refuge.

"He's after his gun!" declared Sandy. "Just watch out and you'll
see him get one of those bears!"

Oje certainly was after his rifle, for he slid down cautiously,
keeping the bole of the tree between himself and the bears.

Much to the surprise of the lads, the Indian did not again climb
into the shelter of the branches. Instead, he stood peering around
the trunk of the tree as if waiting for the wild animals to make
their appearance. The flame blazed higher and higher and the boys
began to feel uncomfortable.

"I'll bet there ain't any bears here!" Sandy exclaimed after a
moment's silence. "I guess we run away from a rabbit!"

"I guess we didn't!" insisted Thede.

The boy's opinion was verified a moment later by the appearance of
three shambling figures in the lighted zone. The bear is noted for
his curiosity, and the boys realized, too, that the feast of fish
must have been devoured.

"We might have sneaked away while they were eating that fine
supper!" Sandy said, in a tone of disgust. "I think we ought to
have medals made out of a cow's ear! That would be a good medal,
wouldn't it, for boys who showed such courage in the face of the
enemy?"

"Never you mind!" Thede answered. "I guess the bears are next to
their job. We wouldn't have gone far before they'd been after us."

As the bears appeared in the light of the fire, now blazing
fiercely and fast climbing from one dry limb to another, the lads
saw the Indian raise his rifle to his shoulder and fire.

Instead of taking to their legs, the bears grouped thems