ere projections, from which swung rickety ladders. At one side
there was a dark passage, which apparently led far into the mountain.

The boy had not been travelling over the mining districts a whole day
for nothing. He comprehended at once that the big cleft had been made by
the men who had mined ore in this place.

"I must try and climb back to earth again," he thought, "otherwise I
fear that my companions won't find me!"

He was about to go over to the wall when some one seized him from
behind, and he heard a gruff voice growl in his ear: "Who are you?"

The boy turned quickly, and, in the confusion of the moment, he thought
he was facing a huge rock, covered with brownish moss. Then he noticed
that the rock had broad paws to walk with, a head, two eyes, and a
growling mouth.

He could not pull himself together to answer, nor did the big beast
appear to expect it of him, for it knocked him down, rolled him back and
forth with its paws, and nosed him. It seemed just about ready to
swallow him, when it changed its mind and called:

"Brumme and Mulle, come here, you cubs, and you shall have something
good to eat!"

A pair of frowzy cubs, as uncertain on their feet and as woolly as
puppies, came tumbling along.

"What have you got, Mamma Bear? May we see, oh, may we see?" shrieked
the cubs excitedly.

"Oho! so I've fallen in with bears," thought the boy to himself. "Now
Smirre Fox won't have to trouble himself further to chase after me!"

The mother bear pushed the boy along to the cubs. One of them nabbed him
quickly and ran off with him; but he did not bite hard. He was playful
and wanted to amuse himself awhile with Thumbietot before eating him.
The other cub was after the first one to snatch the boy for himself, and
as he lumbered along he managed to tumble straight down on the head of
the one that carried the boy. So the two cubs rolled over each other,
biting, clawing, and snarling.

During the tussle the boy got loose, ran over to the wall, and started
to scale it. Then both cubs scurried after him, and, nimbly scaling the
cliff, they caught up with him and tossed him down on the moss, like a
ball.

"Now I know how a poor little mousie fares when it falls into the cat's
claws," thought the boy.

He made several attempts to get away. He ran deep down into the old
tunnel and hid behind the rocks and climbed the birches, but the cubs
hunted him out, go where he would. The instant they caught him they