n he was so stiff with cold
that he could scarcely get down. But the warm sun came up, and he felt
better as he sought about for berries and ants, for he was very hungry.
Then he went back to the Piney and put his wounded foot in the ice-cold
water.

[Illustration: "HE STAYED IN THE TREE TILL NEAR MORNING."]

He wanted to get back to the mountains again, but still he felt he must go
to where he had left his Mother and brothers. When the afternoon grew
warm, he went limping down the stream through the timber, and down on the
banks of the Graybull till he came to the place where yesterday they had
had the fish-feast; and he eagerly crunched the heads and remains that he
found. But there was an odd and horrid smell on the wind. It frightened
him, and as he went down to where he last had seen his Mother the smell
grew worse. He peeped out cautiously at the place, and saw there a lot of
Coyotes, tearing at something. What it was he did not know; but he saw no
Mother, and the smell that sickened and terrified him was worse than ever,
so he quietly turned back toward the timber-tangle of the Lower Piney, and
nevermore came back to look for his lost family. He wanted his Mother as
much as ever, but something told him it was no use.

As cold night came down, he missed her more and more again, and he
whimpered as he limped along, a miserable, lonely, little, motherless
Bear--not lost in the mountains, for he had no home to seek, but so sick
and lonely, and with such a pain in his foot and in his stomach a craving
for the drink that would nevermore be his. That night he found a hollow
log, and crawling in, he tried to dream that his Mother's great, furry arms
were around him, and he snuffled himself to sleep.

[Illustration]

III

Wahb had always been a gloomy little Bear; and the string of misfortunes
that came on him just as his mind was forming made him more than ever
sullen and morose.

It seemed as though every one were against him. He tried to keep out of
sight in the upper woods of the Piney, seeking his food by day and resting
at night in the hollow log. But one evening he found it occupied by a
Porcupine as big as himself and as bad as a cactus-bush. Wahb could do
nothing with him. He had to give up the log and seek another nest.

[Illustration]

One day he went down on the Graybull flat to dig some roots that his Mother
had taught him were good. But before he had well begun, a grayish-lo