se in the
bottom of the tent and stepped through the opening.

A burly figure in a big overcoat stood in the deep shadow confronting
him.

Mr. Penrose was bare-footed and his soles were tender but he advanced
far enough to bring the pole down with a thwack upon the head of the
intruder.

"Woof! Woof!"

The answer raised his hair and galvanized his whiskers.

"Woof! Woof!" A great paw fanned the air--he could feel the wind from it
plainly as it reached out to cuff him--and the claws on the end of it
tore the front of the flannel shirt in which he slept to ribbons.

"Woof! Woof!" And then a roar that reverberated through the timber.

Mr. Penrose swore afterward that the hot breath of the brute was in his
face, but the statement is open to question since at the first "Woof!"
he had fallen into his tent backward.

No one dreamed of the adventure Mr. Penrose was having until he appeared
among them with his shirt bosom in shreds and trembling like an aspen.
In one hand he carried a sizeable chunk of bacon.

"This," he cried, brandishing it, "is what I found tied to my teepee!"

The explanation was obvious, someone had baited his tent for bear on
purpose, and, since there was no way of obtaining evidence against the
culprit, Mr. Penrose in his unreasoning rage accused everybody.

"Ever since I came, you have all had a pick on me!" He glared at them.
"You needn't think you're so smart I haven't seen it."

Everyone was so surprised at the accusation that they could only stare,
speechless, at him. With his white beard, rags, and bare-footed, Mr.
Penrose looked like the Count of Monte Cristo telling the world what he
was going to do to it as he added, waving the bacon:

"I'm going home to-morrow--to Delaware--back to my peach orchard--and if
any one of you ever say you know me--much less speak to me--I shall deny
it. I'm done with the whole caboodle of you!"

Protestations were useless and efforts to dissuade him from his purpose
of leaving. The next morning he packed his bag and started down the road
without saying good-bye to any one.

His departure reduced the party to half its original number, and that
was bad enough, but when by lunch-time Mr. Appel had developed a
soreness which led him to believe he was injured internally and should
consult a physician, the situation became infinitely worse to Wallie and
Pinkey.

As a matter of course they expected his wife to accompany him, but what
they had not known w