the
two boys, noticed Charley running and came tearing after him. Then he saw
the bear and went after her at full speed. The instant the bear heard the
dog, she turned to face him; then as quickly faced about again and started
to climb the very tree in which Lew had taken refuge.

"Get that dog away from here," yelled Lew in consternation, as he began to
climb frantically toward the top of the tree.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Charley burst into a roar of
laughter. But a second appeal from his chum stifled his laughter. He
grabbed the dog and started to carry it away. But he had not gone two rods
before Lew called frantically for him to bring the dog back. Charley
turned around and saw the bear climbing after Lew. As long as the dog was
under the tree, the bear had paid no attention to Lew. But when Charley
started away with the pup, the angry bear continued her pursuit. Charley
returned the dog to the base of the tree.

"Sick 'em," he cried. "Catch 'em."

The little pup made a terrific clamor and the bear paid no further
attention to Lew, who immediately began to look for a way out of his
predicament. Within two or three feet of the base of the tree which he
had climbed, a second tree had sprung up. But the two had grown away from
each other, much like the sloping sides of the letter V. At first Lew
thought he could cross over to the other tree, but a careful inspection
showed him that this would be impossible. Down where the bear was he could
have swung himself from one tree to the other; but the farther up the tree
he was the farther he was from the other tree and the smaller the limbs
were. And Lew was now as near the top of the tree as he dared to go. To
try to leap from his present position to the other tree was not to be
thought of. It would certainly mean a fall of thirty feet or more. And Lew
did not dare come down nearer the bear, lest the animal should again try
to claw him. There was no apparent way to get the bear out of the tree,
and Lew knew that he could not stay up where he was indefinitely.

Charley tried to divert the bear's attention to himself by reaching up the
tree with his axe and striking the trunk. The bear growled but made no
attempt to reach Charley. Her attention was centred wholly on the dog.
With her hair erect, her lips drawn back, her ears laid flat, and her
massive claws ready to tear and rend, the beast presented such a fearful
front that Charley did not dare take t