Muskwa, perhaps still
dreaming of his mother, snuggled closer. As little white children have won
the hearts of savages who were about to slay them, so Muskwa had come
strangely into the life of Thor.

The big grizzly was still puzzled. Not only was he struggling against an
unaccountable dislike of all cubs in general, but also against the firmly
established habits of ten years of aloneness. Yet he was beginning to
comprehend that there was something very pleasant and companionable in the
nearness of Muskwa. With the coming of man a new emotion had entered into
his being--perhaps only the spark of an emotion. Until one has enemies, and
faces dangers, one cannot fully appreciate friendship--and it may be that
Thor, who now confronted real enemies and a real danger for the first time,
was beginning to understand what friendship meant. Also it was drawing near
to his mating season, and about Muskwa was the scent of his mother. And so
as Muskwa continued to bask and dream in the sunshine, there was a growing
content in Thor.

He looked down into the valley, shimmering in the wet of the night's rain,
and he saw nothing to rouse discontent; he sniffed the air, and it was
filled with the unpolluted sweetness of growing grass, of flowers, and
balsam, and water fresh from the clouds.

Thor began to lick his wound, and it was this movement that roused Muskwa.
The cub lifted his head. He blinked at the sun for a moment--then rubbed
his face sleepily with his tiny paw and stood up. Like all youngsters, he
was ready for another day, in spite of the hardships and toil of the
preceding one.

While Thor still lay restfully looking down into the valley, Muskwa began
investigating the crevices in the rock wall, and tumbled about among the
boulders on the ledge.

From the valley Thor turned his eyes to the cub. There was curiosity in his
attitude as he watched Muskwa's antics and queer tumblings among the rocks.
Then he rose cumbrously and shook himself.

For at least five minutes he stood looking down into the valley, and
sniffing the wind, as motionless as though carven out of rock. And Muskwa,
perking up his little ears, came and stood beside him, his sharp little
eyes peering from Thor off into sunlit space, and then back to Thor again,
as if wondering what was about to happen next.

The big grizzly answered the question. He turned along the rock shelf and
began descending into the valley. Muskwa tagged behind, just as he had