ueer sound among the
underbrush.

"Oh, it's a bear!" wailed Babs, trying to locate the wild beast and
seeking shelter behind a huge tree.

She hugged the immense trunk of the pine while she poked her yellow head
out to see if the bear was in sight, but he had not yet come into view.

She stood behind the tree until wearied of inaction, and as the noise
could no longer be heard, crept out of hiding, and Babs started off in a
direction she hoped would bring her to Mike. She stumbled and fell over
roots, got up and went on again; dodged between the thick growth of pine
trees, and finally came to the road that was broken out by the men when
they first came to camp--the road that led to the trail running into
town.

Babs was thankful to find a road but not sure which direction to take,
and when a little girl is very tired and hungry and forlorn the work of
thinking hard is apt to put her to sleep, especially if she sits down
upon a large pile of pine needles and leans against a stump to think.
And so it was with Babs. She leaned her tousled curls against the stump
and closed her eyes.

In taking the short-cut to the timber-cutters, Mike had seen tracks of
wild hares and quail, and finding that the work in the timber was not as
interesting as he thought it would be, he decided to follow the road
back and get his rifle to shoot some game for the cook.

He was quietly loping along the road when he saw the little white hood
bobbing down behind the pine stump.

Mike looked all about for some evidence of the children or elders, but
not a sign or sound was to be heard except the strange cracklings of
forest silences. Mike gave a shrill whistle to call anyone who had
strayed close by, but no one answered except Babs who was suddenly
awakened from her nap.

"O-oh, Mike! Did oo know I is losted affer oo?" said she, rubbing her
eyes with her mittened hands.

"Mike take Babby home," coaxed Mike, lifting the child to his shoulder.

Reaching the clearing Mike carried Babs over to the office where he
heard how everyone missed the child and, finding that Mike was gone
also, they felt that Babs was safe, for doubtless the two were together.

Mike understood perfectly but said nothing about finding Babs alone a
mile from the clearing, for he silently vowed never to leave the little
one alone again.

So the devotion of the old man proved a great boon to Babs, for she soon
knew many simple wood-secrets that Mike taught her, as we