, Ed. Ye knows no un----"

"A bear! A bear!" interrupted Bob, excitedly. "See un! See un there
comin' straight to that rock!"

Sure enough, a couple Of hundred yards away a big black bear was
lumbering right down towards them, and if it kept its course would
pass a large boulder standing some fifty yards back from the river
bank. The animal had not seen the boat nor scented the men, for the
wind was blowing from it towards them.

"Run her in here," said Bob, indicating a bit of bank out of the
bear's range of vision, "an' let me ashore t' have a chance at un."

The instant the boat touched land he grabbed his gun--a
single-barrelled, muzzle loader--bounded noiselessly ashore, and
stooping low gained the shelter of the boulder unobserved.

The unsuspecting bear came leisurely on, bent, no doubt, upon securing
a drink of water to wash down a feast of blueberries of which it had
just partaken, and seemingly occupied by the pleasant reveries that
follow a good meal and go with a full stomach. Bob could hear it
coming now, and raised his gun ready to give it the load the moment it
passed the rock. Then, suddenly, he remembered that he had loaded the
gun that morning with shot, when hunting a flock of partridges, and
had failed to reload with ball. To kill a bear with a partridge load
of shot was out of the question, and to wound the bear at close
quarters was dangerous, for a wounded bear with its enemy within reach
is pretty sure to retaliate.

Just at the instant this thought flashed through Bob's mind the big
black side of the bear appeared not ten feet from the muzzle of his
gun, and before the lad realized it he had pulled the trigger.

Bob did not stop to see the result of the shot, but ran at full speed
towards the boat. The bear gave an angry growl, and for a moment bit
at the wound in its side, then in a rage took after him.

It was not over fifty yards to the boat, and though Bob had a few
seconds the start, the bear seemed likely to catch him before he could
reach it, for clumsy though they are in appearance, they are fast
travellers when occasion demands. Half the distance was covered in a
jiffy, but the bear was almost at his heels. A few more leaps and he
would be within reach of safety. He could fairly feel the bear's
breath. Then his foot caught a projecting branch and he fell at full
length directly in front of the infuriated animal.

IV

SWEPT AWAY IN THE RAPIDS

When Bob went ashore D