rd. The walls were limestone rock in beautiful rough layers,
one upon another. From the roof the limestone hung in long pointed
shapes, like icicles.

A fire burned brightly on the floor, while the smoke rose slowly and
went out at a hole in the roof. The walls and the roof were blackened
by smoke.

Strongarm's young wife was named Burr. She was glad when she saw the
meat. She took her stone knife quickly and cut up the meat, and threw
the pieces on the hot coals. While the fire blazed and snapped and
cooked the meat, the boys looked on with hungry eyes.

When the meat was done, Burr pulled it from the fire with a long stick.
The boys and Strongarm snatched it up and tore it to pieces with their
white teeth.

"Um-m! how good and tender and juicy!" said the boys, grinning, and
smacking their lips.

When the meat was all gone, the bones were broken and the sweet marrow
scraped out and eaten; for that was good, too.

While the family was still eating, a big black bear came along. He
smelled the meat, and put his great rough head in at the door and
sniffed.

[Illustration: A big black bear came along]

"Bear!" shouted Strongarm, jumping to his feet.

Burr and the boys cried out and quickly ran away to hide. Strongarm
snatched a blazing log and struck the bear. He was burned and hurt,
and he grew angry. He stood up on his hind legs and growled and showed
his sharp teeth.

Strongarm snatched his ax and made for the bear, but he had gone. His
growls sounded farther and farther away. Still Strongarm stood with
his ax ready, his heart thumping and his eyes big. When he saw that
the bear was not coming back, he dropped his ax with a gruff laugh.
Then Burr and the boys came creeping out of their holes. And they all
laughed and talked at once, telling how scared they had been.

The growls of the bear still sounded through the woods, so the boys ran
to the door to see him.

"There he goes!" cried Pineknot with wide eyes, pointing.

"How big he is!" cried Thorn; "I shall make his picture."

Thorn ran back into the cave and quickly threw a pineknot on the fire.
It blazed up and made all the cave light. He broke a piece of
limestone from the wall and picked up a sharp stone from the floor.
Then he sat down by the fire to make his picture of the bear. After a
while he held up the piece of limestone with the picture scratched on
it.

[Illustration: Then he sat down by the fire to make his picture of th