you're meaning to tackle the varmint alone and
single-handed, Phil!" X-Ray burst out with.

"I'm not quite so simple as all that," Phil flashed back at him; "you
can see I'm heading the other way."

"Oh! I know what he means," burst out Lub just then; "it's the door!
Phil's going to take down that bar we pushed in place, and open up.
Hurrah! that sounds good to me! Phil knows how to do the trick. You
trust him every time, and you'll never get left."

Of course it was all simple enough now, and if Lub could see through it
the other pair could also. To be sure, Phil meant to swing wide the
door, and thus invite the departure of their unwelcome guest.

They saw him reach the front of the cabin. The bear was apparently
suspicious of any sort of movement, and continued to growl
threateningly. So long as he did not actually start to make an attack
Ethan believed he could afford to remain idle, and hold his ground.

Phil appeared to be having some little trouble about getting the bar
loose. The door did not shut closely, and it had taken the combined
strength of two of them to fasten it securely.

"Give it a hunch, and then slip the bar up, quick, Phil!" called out
Lub; for as he had helped close it he knew best how the thing could be
done.

Phil made a third attempt, and this time succeeded, for they saw him
open the door, and then back away, still gripping the stout bar in his
hands, as though he considered it worth having in an emergency.

"There you are, Mister; now please get a move on you!" called Lub.

The animal must have already sniffed the outer air, to judge from his
actions. He may have also suspected some sort of cunning trap, for he
did not immediately start on a rush toward the gap in the wall.

"He guesses you're laying for him, Phil," Ethan remarked; "p'raps you'd
better back up and join our squad here. There's another upper berth, if
so be you think you'd like to join our brave chum Lub."

"Huh! think you're smart, don't you?" muttered the one referred to; but
evidently the slur cut to the quick, for what did Lub do but bundle out
of his bunk and actually take his place in line with the others, as
though to show them that at least it was not _fear_ that had caused him
to climb up out of the way.

"I guess he's going to make the run for it!" exclaimed X-Ray Tyson.
"Everybody start to waving their arms when he comes, and keep him going.
Whoop! hurry up your stumps, old bear; this is a white man's