an irregular conical
shape, the convex surface of which was coated with snow that had lately
fallen.

The first impression of the hunters was, that they had been deceived by
the cunning Quan. Pouchskin declared that they would not stand being
tricked; and at once demanded back the ten rix-dollars which his young
masters had paid for the "ring" of the bear.

"It was all nonsense," he said; "even if there was a cave, no bear could
be inside, for the simple reason that none, even the smallest, could
possibly have squeezed his carcass through a hole like that;--a cat
could hardly have crept into such an aperture. Besides, where were the
tracks of the bear? There were none to be seen--neither by the mouth of
the hole, nor in the snow outside."

There were old tracks of the peasant himself and of a dog, but not of a
bear.

"It's a decided take-in," grumbled Pouchskin.

"Patience, master!" said the Quan. "There is a bear inside for all
that; and I'll prove it, or else return you your money. See my little
dog! he'll tell you old _nalle_ is there. It was he that told me."

As the Quan said this he let slip a diminutive cur, which he had
hitherto held in the leash. The animal, on being set free, rushed up to
the hole, and commenced scratching at the ice, and barking in the most
furious and excited manner. It certainly proved there was some living
creature inside; but how could the Quan tell it was a bear? and, above
all, a black bear!

He was interrogated on this point.

"By it," replied the peasant, taking from his pouch a tuft of long black
fur, which was evidently that of a bear; "that is how I know that old
_nalle's_ in the cave, and the colour of the hair tells me that it's
_black nalle_ who's inside."

"But how came you by that?" inquired all three in a breath, as the man
held the tuft before their eyes.

"Well, masters!" answered the Quan, "you see some jaggy points on the
rock, at the top of the hole, there. I found it sticking there, where
the bear must have left it, as he was squeezing himself into his cave--
that's how it was."

"But surely," said Alexis, "you don't mean to assert that a bear could
pass through such a hole as that? Why, a badger couldn't get in there,
my man!"

"Not _now_," said the Quan, "I admit; it's three months since he went
in. The hole was bigger then."

"Bigger _then_?"

"Certainly, masters! the heap you see below is only ice. It's the drip
of that great icicle t