cult profession, or to attain any point
possible of attainment, is sure to win, if he will but _stick to it_.

Nick Ribsam was resolved to become skillful with the rifle, and he gave
all the time he could spare to practice with the gun which belonged to
Mr. Marston. He was desirous of starting after the bear with Sam, as
soon as he could use the gun, but his sensible father shook his head.

"No, Nicholas, that would be doing wrong, for you do not know how to
handle the rifle; God does not step in and help the lazy and careless;
first learn how to use the weapon, so you will never miss; then you may
go hunt bears."

Although a lusty lad, Nick found the heavy gun was quite a burden, and
he preferred to rest the barrel on the fence, or in the crotch of a
tree, when aiming, but Sam Harper told him he could never amount to
anything unless he used his weapon off-hand, and was ready to do so
effectively, no matter how sudden the call.

Nick applied all his energies, and in the course of a few weeks won the
praise of Sam, who had become very fond of the bright and good-natured
"Pennsylvania Dutchman," who, in return, helped him in his efforts to
improve his knowledge in arithmetic, which he studied in a desultory way
on the long autumn evenings, having promised his father to do so.

Mr. Marston owned a dog which was not of much account, but the boys
trained him with rare patience, and were confident he would prove
valuable when they took him on the hunt.

By the time they were ready to start autumn was advanced, and Nick, who
had carefully studied up the peculiarities of the animal, said he was
afraid the bear had gone into some hollow tree or cave to take his
winter's sleep.

"I don't think they do that till the weather gets colder," said Sam, who
had once helped hunt bruin in the wilds of Tennessee, "and even in very
cold weather I have seen their tracks in the snow; but if we can only
find the tree or cave where he is hiding, why, that will just be
splendid."

"Why so?"

"He is fat, lazy, and so sleepy that he don't fight much; but in the
spring-time he is lean, hungry, and fierce, and then everybody must look
out. There are so many chestnuts and hickory nuts in the woods now that
he can get all he wants to eat without scaring the farmers by visiting
them."

"The bear eats almost everything," said Nick, "but I don't believe he
can make much of a meal off hickory nuts."

"Well, he has got a good thing of it anyw