elly back to help him to drag home the deer.

"Well done, Roy," cried Nelly, clapping her hands, when her brother
approached with the sled-load of rabbits, "but you are covered with
blood. Have you cut yourself?"

She became nervously anxious, for she well knew that a bad cut on a
journey costs many a man his life, as it not only disables from
continuing the journey but from hunting for provisions.

"All right, Nell, but I've killed a deer--and--and--something else!
Come, lass, get on your snow-shoes and follow me. We'll drag home the
deer, and then see what is to be done with the--"

"Oh, _what_ is it? do tell!" cried Nell, eagerly.

"Well, then, it's a bear!"

"Nonsense!--tell me true, now."

"That's the truth, Nell, as you shall see, and here are the claws. Look
sharp, now, and let's off."

Away went these two through the snow, until they came to where the deer
had been left. It was hard work to get it lashed on the sled, and much
harder work to drag it over the snow, but by dint of perseverance and
resolution they got it home. They were so fatigued, however, that it
was impossible to think of doing the same with the bear. This was a
perplexing state of things, for Roy had observed a wolf-track when out,
and feared that nothing but the bones would be left in the morning.

"What _is_ to be done?" said Nelly, with that pretty air of utter
helplessness which she was wont to assume when she felt that her brother
was the proper person to decide.

Roy pondered a few moments, and then said abruptly, "Camp-out, Nelly."

"Camp-out?"

"Ay, beside the bear--keep it company all night with a big fire to scare
away the wolves. We'll put everything into the hut, block up the door,
and kindle a huge fire outside that will burn nearly all night. So now,
let's go about it at once."

Although Nelly did not much relish the idea of leaving their comfortable
hut, and going out to encamp in the snow beside the carcase of a dead
bear, she was so accustomed to regard her brother's plans as perfect,
and to obey him promptly, that she at once began to assist in the
necessary preparations. Having secured everything safely in the hut,
and kindled a fire near it, which was large enough to have roasted an
ox, they set off for the bear-trap, and reached it in time to scare away
a large wolf which was just going to begin his supper on bruin.

An encampment was then made in the usual way, close to the bear-trap, a
fire as la