, cross the stream, run in
the gully, and race away; and dogs and men follow close and closer on
their track. Now they worry up a difficult bank, and scuttle and
wheeze away, away. But the dogs gain upon them; the torches alarm
them; the ground is not safe, and they climb the trees, as the hunters
all wish, and seek concealment in the shadow of closely covering leaves.

"Up a tree, be you, Mr. Bruin, eh?" cried Colwell.

"What can you do now?" asked Fabens.

"Down with the tree!" shouted Flaxman.

"No, let me see if I can't fetch the fellow with my old gun," cried
Uncle Walter. "I reckon I can reach him. I've picked bears out of
taller trees than that."

"What's there?" shouted Flaxman. "There's two on 'em treed. See the
dogs tear away at the foot of yon maple! Let's slash down the trees,
and give the dogs a little more fun. Old Spank's ready to jump out of
his skin, he's so fairse. And see Nig on his hind legs, and Watch jump
up and nip the bark from the tree. Down with them, and give the dogs a
little more fun."

"No, no; I'll see first if I can't tickle 'em with quicker fun," said
Uncle Walter; and all agreed that he should give a try. So the torches
were held away, that they might not blind him; and clear eyes searched
to spy them by a few broken beams of the moon.

"You'll have to cut the trees, or give 'em up," shouted Flaxman.

"It's dark as Egypt up in them thick leaves," said Colwell. "Skin your
keenest eye, Uncle Walt, and then I guess you won't spy your game."

"Hold, boys! hold on, hold on!" cried Uncle Walter. "I spy one! Here,
Colwell! you see that big limb, don't you? run a sharp look up that,
and tell us what that black bunch is, eh?"

"'S a bear, 's a bear, give him gowdy!" cried Colwell; and Uncle Walter
laid his best eye on his old queen's-arm, and fired. Rustle, rustle,
went the leaves; a limb snapped; a growl exploded; a rattling wheeze
ran shuddering on the still air; a shower of bark, scratched front the
tree, clattered down on the leaves; and then a groan--then
thrash--bound came a bear against the earth; and a torch at his nose
gave Uncle Walter to cry, "Dead--he's dead's a nit! Now, Miss Moon,
hang your lantern in t'other tree, and I'll bring down Bruin's wife to
sleep by his side, I will."

"No, you've had fun enough for one night, Uncle Walt, and now let
Fabens try," said Colwell.

The gun was re-loaded, and soon the moonlight through the leaves
betrayed the oth