able to leave the water, in which they had
taken refuge. It was not likely they would be forced to keep to the raft
itself very long, but, after stepping foot on shore, they would be
surrounded, if not by the burning forest itself, by its embers, which
would render traveling perilous for days to come.

Altogether, it will be seen that the situation of the two was as
unpleasant--if, not absolutely dangerous--as it could well be.

Nick was on the point, more than once, of following the advice of his
sister,--to allow the raft to be carried by the wind against the shore,
with the hope that the bear, when his hind legs should touch bottom,
would take himself off; but he was afraid to do so, for it seemed to him
that when the brute should be relieved of the necessity of looking after
himself, he would turn and look after the boy and girl too closely for
their safety.

The very danger, however, that was dreaded more than all others, came
when least expected.

Nick had worked the unwieldy craft out in the pond again and had sat
down beside Nellie, when, with one of his startling sniffs, the bear
made a plunge, which heaved half of his body out of the water and lifted
it upon the raft.

As Nick Ribsam had previously remarked, the structure was not built for
the accommodation of such passengers, and it began sinking, as the
unwonted weight bore it down.

"Don't be scared," said he to his sister; "maybe it's the best thing
that could happen; put your hands on my shoulders and keep cool, and
we'll swim out yet."

CHAPTER XXXVII.

A BRAVE STRUGGLE.

It was a trying ordeal for little Nellie Ribsam; but she met it with the
courage and coolness of her brother. She could not swim a stroke, and,
under heaven, everything depended on him. If she should lose her
self-control, as would be the case with nine tenths of the girls of her
age placed in a similar situation she was likely to drown both herself
and her brother.

But so long as she obeyed instructions, and the bear did not interfere,
they were safe. She placed her hands on the shoulders of Nick, as he
told her to do, and he struck out with his powerful stroke, which he
could keep up for an hour if need be.

The difficulty of the situation was deepened tenfold by the anxiety to
know what the bear meant to do. He had it in his power to overtake both,
and it would have been a trifling matter for him to "dispose" of them
in a twinkling: one or two strokes of his