at morning
and had a good supply of flour, coffee and other articles, they soon
placed an abundant meal smoking on the table. We at once discovered
that they were superior to the general run of backwoodsmen, having a
fair education, at the same time that they were hardy persevering
fellows, and bold buffalo and deer hunters, who held the Redskins in
supreme contempt. Their family, they told us, resided somewhere about a
hundred miles away to the eastward. They had pushed thus far into the
wilderness to form a home for themselves, both young men intending to
marry shortly and set up house. Their father's farm was close to the
very settlement for which we were bound, and the nearest where we were
likely to get our wants amply supplied. They were sure, they said, that
their father would be happy to receive us and assist us in obtaining all
we required. We thanked them and gladly accepted their kind offer.

Supper being over, we lay down in our buffalo robes; and I need scarcely
say that, having no longer the fear of being aroused by finding an
Indian's scalping-knife running round my head, I was quickly fast
asleep, fully expecting to have a good night's rest.

My sleep, however, at length became troubled. I dreamed that I heard
the Indian war-whoops, and saw a whole band of savages spring out of the
darkness and rush with uplifted tomahawks towards me while I lay
helpless on the ground. Presently the cries increased, and I awoke with
a start to hear a terrific growling sound. It was that of a bear, I was
convinced. I saw that Mark Praeger, having got up and struck a light,
had taken down his rifle from the wall and was going towards the door.
I jumped up, as did Armitage and Story, and followed him. As he threw
open the door, we saw, not a dozen paces from the hut, a huge bear
squatting on his hindquarters and apparently taking a leisurely survey
of the hut.

Mark, as soon as he caught sight of his visitor, lifted his rifle and
fired, but the cap failed to go off. It would have been a fine
opportunity for Bruin to have made a rush upon us; when he might, by
dashing into the hut, have taken possession and killed us all one after
the other, or driven us out. Instead of doing so, alarmed by the shouts
we raised, uttering a low growl, he turned round and broke away through
the brushwood on one side of the hut.

"On lads!" cried Mark, "we must get that fellow for the sake of the meat
and skin."

As he spoke