to anything? Had it been on the
other side of the hollow, he would have feared a precipice, and would
have been on his guard. But, as it was, he never gave the matter a
second thought, because it did not look dangerous! He found the best
berries growing very near the edge of the crevice; and in his
satisfaction he turned his back to the height and settled himself
solidly upon his haunches to enjoy them. As he did so the bushes gave
way behind him, he pitched abruptly backwards, and vanished with a
squeal of terror into the narrow cleft of darkness.

The crevice was perhaps twelve feet deep, and from five to eight in
width all the way to the bottom. The bottom held a layer of earth and
dead leaves, which served to ease the cub's fall; but when he landed
the wind was so bumped out of him that for a minute or two he could
not utter a sound. As soon as he recovered his voice, however, he
began to squeal and whine piteously for his mother.

The old bear, at the sound of his cry as he fell, had rushed so
hastily to his aid that she barely escaped falling in after him.
Checking herself just in time, by digging all her mighty claws into
the roots of the blueberries, she crouched at the brink, thrust her
head as far over as she could, and peered down with anxious cries. But
when the cub's voice came back to her from the darkness she knew he
was not killed, and she also knew that he was very near,--and her
whinings changed at once to a guttural murmur that must have been
intended for encouragement. The other cub, meanwhile, had come
lumbering up with ears wisely cocked, taken a very hasty and careful
glance over the edge, and returned to his blueberries with an air of
disapproval. It was as if he said he always knew that blundering
brother of his would get himself into trouble.

For some minutes the old bear crouched where she was, straining her
eyes to make out the form of her little one. Becoming accustomed to
the gloom at last, she could discern him. She could see that he was
moving about, and standing on his hind legs, and striving valiantly to
claw his way up the perpendicular surface of smooth rock. She began to
reach downwards first one big forepaw and then the other, testing the
rock beneath her for some ledge or crack that might give her foothold
by which to climb down to his aid. Finding none, she again set up her
uneasy whining, and moved slowly along the brink, trying every inch of
the way for some place rough eno