the tall spruces whose tops glimmered in
the sun, and whose cool shadows made the trail delightful and refreshing,
a black she-bear suddenly rose up before them, and a cub started up by her
side. The great bear and the little bear both stood on their haunches,
with their fore-feet outstretched like arms, as in great surprise. Mrs.
Woods stopped and threw up her arms, and Parson Lee drew back.

Mrs. Woods looked at the little bear, and the little bear at her.

"Roll over, roll over!" she suddenly exclaimed. A strange event followed,
very strange indeed in the eyes of the startled missionary. The little
bear rolled itself into a ball, and began to turn over and over, and to
come toward them in its somersaults.

The mother bear made a peculiar noise, dropped upon her four feet and ran
off into the timber; and the little one, hearing the noise and movement,
leaped up and followed her.

"What _does_ that mean?" asked the missionary, in astonishment.

"That is Little Roll Over. I taught him that trick myself. He was once a
pet of mine, and he ran away."

"Extraordinary!" said the missionary; "and it seems to me, if you have
such a good influence over bears, you might do a great deal of good among
the Indians."

"And I will," said Mrs. Woods. "I mean to live so I can sing hymns, and
feel right about it."

On the return home, Mrs. Woods looked everywhere for her pet bear. She did
not fear the old bear, for these animals are generally harmless if
unmolested. She called, "Roll Over! Roll Over!" when she came to the place
where she had had the adventure. But there was no answer except from the
blue jays that piped out their shrill call in the tall trees.

Mrs. Woods came home to have a long battle with herself. Her idea of
happiness seemed to be the freedom to sing hymns with a clear conscience,
and the poor pioneer woman's philosophy was not very far from right.

CHAPTER XI.

MARLOWE MANN'S NEW ROBINSON CRUSOE.

Besides the Narrative of Lewis and Clarke, which was used in the school as
a reader, Mr. Mann made use of another book in his teaching which greatly
delighted his pupils and often awakened their sympathies. It was called
"John E. Jewett and Thompson." It presented a picture of life on the coast
early in the century. The strange story was much as follows:

_THE ROBINSON CRUSOE OF VANCOUVER._

About the year 1802 the ship Boston, from Boston, Mass., went to Hull,
England, to secure a cargo of good