e are many of these trees," continued he, "loaded with fruit. Would
that we had our grotto opened, that we might collect a store of them,
now that they are ripe."

My boys pointed out to me exactly the situation of the grotto, judging
from the rock above, and longed for their tools, that they might
commence the opening directly. We proceeded to make our way through a
border of trees and bushes, that separated us from the rock, that we
might examine it, and judge of the difficulties of our undertaking. Jack
preceded us, as usual, after giving Ernest his gun; Fritz followed him,
and suddenly turning to me, said,--

"I believe kind Nature has saved us much trouble; the rock appears to be
divided from top to bottom; at the foot I see a sort of cave, or grotto,
already made."

[Illustration: "We saw at the entrance of the cave two large brown
bears."]

At this moment Jack uttered a piercing cry, and came running to us, his
lasso in his hand: "Two monstrous beasts!" cried he. "Help! help!" We
rushed forward, our guns ready, and saw at the entrance of the cave two
large brown bears. The black bear, whose fur is most valued, is only
found in cold and mountainous countries; but the brown prefers the
south. It is a carnivorous animal, considered very ferocious. The black
bear lives only on vegetables and honey. Of these, the one I judged to
be the female seemed much irritated, uttering deep growls, and furiously
gnashing her teeth. As I knew something of these animals, having met
with them on the Alps, I remembered having heard that a sharp whistling
terrifies and checks them. I therefore whistled as long and loudly as I
could, and immediately saw the female retire backwards into the cave,
while the male, raising himself on his hind legs, stood quite still,
with his paws closed. My two elder sons fired into his breast: he fell
down, but being only wounded, turned furiously on us. I fired a third
shot at him, and finished him. We then hastened to load our guns again,
to be ready to receive his companion. Jack wished to use his lasso; but
I explained to him that the legs of the bear were too short and thick
for such a measure to be successful. He related to us, that having
entered the cave, he saw something moving at the bottom; he took up a
stone, and threw it with all his strength at the object; immediately he
heard a frightful growling, and saw two large beasts coming towards him;
he had barely time to escape and call for he