eir long walk, summoned
up energy enough to go down to the beach and peer into the dugout.
They saw no sign of any game. They did not, however, ask any
questions, for they were learning the dignity of Indian hunters. Alex
looked at Moise, but asked him no question. He noticed that Moise was
whistling, and apparently not very unhappy, as after a time he went
about making his evening fire.

"So you didn't get any bear, Mr. Rob?" said Alex at last.

"No, not quite," said Rob, "but I ought to have got one--I had a
pretty fair shot, although it was rather dark where the bear was
standing."

Alex spoke a few words to Moise in the Cree language.

"Never mind," said he to Rob at length. "We'll get him to-morrow very
easily."

"So Moise said to me; but I don't see how he knows. The bear started
off as though he weren't hit at all. He came down to the edge of the
wood at a high bank and looked right at us when we were pulling the
boat up the stream. You know, the canoe is rather teetery, but I shot
as well as I could, and thought I hit him. He turned around, and I
shot at him again. But he didn't stop. Moise thought we had better
come on in because it was so late."

"Sure," said Moise, "I'll tol' those boy he'll shoot those bear two
tam, once in the front an' once in the back. With those rifle, he'll
not go far. To-morrow we'll catch heem easy."

"He was a big bear, too," said Rob, "although not as big as our
grizzly--just a black bear, that's all. I don't like to cripple any
animal and then lose it."

"I don't think we'll lose this one," said Alex, reassuringly.

The judgment of the old hunters proved to be correct, for on the next
day, when all hands dropped down the river to the point where Rob had
shot at the bear, it was not five minutes before they found the trail
where a considerable amount of blood showed that the bear had been
badly wounded. At once they began to follow this trail back into the
high country away from the river.

Alex did not ask any questions, and there was little talk between him
and Moise. Moise, however, took the lead on the trail. Alex did not
even carry his rifle, but loitered along, picking berries and enjoying
himself, after his own fashion.

"Keep close up to Moise, young gentlemen," he said. "This bear,
although only a black bear, is apt to be very ugly if you find him
still alive. If he comes for you, kill him quick. I doubt, however,
very much whether he will be alive when we co