The recital of Sam's adventure and narrow escape very much excited Frank
and Alec, and Mr Ross looked grave and anxious, and seemed to be
thinking of what would have been felt and said in the home land if,
during the first few weeks after the boys had arrived in the Wild North
Land, one of them had been killed by a bear.

The Indians smoked their pipes and listened in silence to Sam's story,
which was translated for those who did not understand English. It was
evident by their clouded faces that they were not pleased. Their
actions said, even before they uttered a word:

"The young white brave should not have run away from a bear. Suppose
that the bear had not been killed, and after chasing the white hunter
into the protection of the camp fire had escaped and gone and told the
other bears of his success, what a rejoicing there would have been among
the other bears! And how bold and saucy all the bears would have been
ever after!"

Thus the Indians thought, for they have queer ideas about bears.
Because of the handlike appearance of the paws of the bear they say
there is a good deal of the human in them. So they talk about them as
holding councils and taking advice one from another. And when they
attack them, especially the Indians of these great Algonquin tribes,
they always address them as Mr Bear, and apologise to them for being
under the necessity of killing them.

Thus these Indians at this camp fire were simply disgusted with Sam for
running away from that black bear.

So after a good smoke and much cogitation one of them, who was a paddler
in Sam's canoe, turned to him and said:

"You have a good knife?"

"Yes," said Sam, and he drew the keen, sharp, double-edged weapon from
its sheath in his leather belt, and handed it to him to examine.

The Indian took it, and, after carefully examining it, passed it on to
the other Indians, who all admired it. But it was noticed that in their
low utterances among themselves there was much of sarcasm, and even
contempt, in some of their expressions.

After some more smoking another Indian turned to Sam, and said:

"No tree along the trail where the bear chase you?"

"O yes," said Sam, "plenty of them. But I was afraid to take time
enough to try and climb up into one of them."

This answer, which Sam gave in all honesty, was too much for the
Indians, and the look of disgust that passed over their faces was a
study. However, the one who had asked the que