l swallow. But the strange stuff had
burned his tongue and choked him. So he spat it out and broke the
bottle with a single blow of his powerful paw. He finally licked up
considerable of the whisky, as it was a hot day and he was thirsty. It
had made him sleepy, so man and beast had lain down together in a
drunken stupor.

After this day Black Bruin hated the bottle, out of which Pedro drank
so frequently. They were also unlucky in getting meals when his master
did this, for the simple country folk did not like to lodge or feed
them when the dark, sinister-looking man was half drunk. So in many
ways the bottle brought them ill-luck.

When Black Bruin and his companion began their wanderings from town to
town, it was early spring-time. The buds were just beginning to redden
upon the sugar-maple and the grass along sunny southern slopes, was
putting on its first faint touch of green. The days were warm and
sunny, promising buds and blossoms, but the nights were still clear and
cold.

At first they had to lie close together at night for warmth, or rather
the man had to cuddle down close to his shaggy warm companion; but
spring soon passed and summer came and the two wanderers reveled in the
lavish beauty and richness of nature.

In many of the pastures blueberries grew in profusion and Black Bruin
needed no teaching to get his share of the palatable fruit. Along all
the country roads, growing upon the stone walls and fences, were
delicious red raspberries, which are much finer flavored than the
cultivated kinds. Later on, when August laid her golden treasures in
the lap of Mother Earth, the blackberries ripened in wild profusion.
First in the open pasture came the low bushberries, and then the high
bushberries along the edge of the forest.

Last of all came autumn with its treasures of harvest, fruits, nuts,
melons and grains.

Wild grapes they found in abundance and all the nut-bearing trees
rattled down their treasures for them. The melon-patch, the pound
sweeting tree, the peach-orchard and the turnip-field all paid toll to
the vagabonds. So, in spite of harsh treatment and hard work, Black
Bruin laid on his usual layers of fat, against the long sleep of the
coming winter.

What wonderful days these were when they wandered lazily from village
to village, through long stretches of flaming red and golden forest,
where the roadway was spread with a most gorgeous leaf-carpet.

They heard the jay squal