ran from one end of the loft to
the other, exclaiming at every new found article of interest. Suddenly
she stopped.

"Now what do you suppose she is at?" asked Dorothy, as she and Cologne
listened.

"Maybe Jack's pipes. I am sure she would be interested in them. He has
quite a collection."

"Oh! G-i-r-l-s!" came a shout from the loft. "Come quick! A wild
animal!"

The voice left no room for doubt. Tavia did see something.

Cologne and Dorothy dropped their work and scrambled up the ladder.

"Over here!"

Tavia was on all fours, peering behind an old door that lay close to
the side timbers of the barn. "Just look! His hair stands up like a
porcupine, and his eyes! Oh, my! such eyes!"

Cologne and Dorothy looked.

"There certainly is something," admitted Cologne.

"It has straight black hair," exclaimed Dorothy, "and it does look
fierce!"

"What shall we do?" asked Cologne. "Jack will not be back until
night."

"And if we take our eyes off it we run the risk of having it under the
bed to-night," said Tavia. "Now if only we could shoot a gun," and she
looked at the line of weapons that decorated the side of the loft.

"I can load and fire a gun," declared Dorothy. "Wasn't my father a
soldier?"

"Wasn't her father a soldier!" repeated Tavia. "Cologne you hump down
there, and keep your eye on the bear, while we get a gun, and load it.
Then if it's all the same to you, I'll do down stairs, and out in the
back yard until it is all over. I hate murder close by."

"I'll choose my own gun, if you please," said Dorothy, as Tavia was
about to hand her an old musket. "I like the vintage of the last
century at least."

"Are you sure you won't hurt yourself?" asked Cologne anxiously. "I
think perhaps we had best try to box the thing in here. Shooting is
rather risky."

"Not if I can get a gun I happen to know," said Dorothy. "You may both
go out in the back yard if you choose. I must try the rifle first--oh,
here is one just like father gave Joe his last birthday. I had a mind
to borrow it to come out here to Maine woods, but I never dreamed of
getting game right in camp."

"Don't shoot dis niggah!" pleaded Tavia, actually making for the
ladder.

Dorothy went over to the open window and put the rifle to her
shoulder. She pulled the trigger. There was no discharge. Not
satisfied with one trial she worked the rifle until there was
positively no possibility of any load being in the weapon.

"There, that's cl