pting to work
the rope around the limb, the dog suddenly increased his clamor.

The bear gave a terrific, convulsive jerk on the rope and jerked it
through Charley's hand. The sudden pull completely unbalanced him and he
fell from the limb. But instantly he tightened his clutch on the slipping
rope and in a second was dangling in air, frightened but safe. He slid to
the ground, and drew the rope taut. Now he had the rope over a limb, as he
wanted it, but the limb was on the wrong tree.

"I'll try it, anyway," he said.

He tied the end of the rope about the trunk of the tree in which Lew and
the bear rested.

"I'm going to pull her off her perch, Lew," he cried. "If I succeed,
she'll swing over toward the other tree. I may be able to pull her up on
her hind feet. Anyway, I think I can hold her, and if you come down as
quick as you can, the two of us can certainly pull her up. Are you ready?"

Lew came down the tree as far as he dared. "I'll be with you the second
she drops," he said. "Pull!"

Charley suddenly threw his entire weight on the rope. The bear, taken by
surprise, was jerked clear of the limb. She dropped downward and then
swung toward the other tree like an enormous pendulum. Lew slid down the
tree like a flash and landed in a heap beside Charley. He was up in an
instant, and, grabbing the rope, added his weight to Charley's. The bear
was fairly on the ground, but almost straight under the limb over which
the rope hung. She was clawing frantically at the noose.

"Let's give a jerk," said Charley. "Together--now!"

They strained suddenly at the rope and the bear rose to her hind feet to
ease the strain on her neck. Instantly they pulled in the slack.

"We've got her now," cried Lew. "Pull again!"

Once more they strained at the rope. It tightened about the neck of the
bear, shutting off her wind. She rose to her very tiptoes and the boys
pulled in a little more slack.

"We could choke her to death now," said Charley, "but we mustn't. How are
we going to get out of this?"

"Let's tie the rope fast and take our packs some distance away. She won't
strangle for a while. Then we can come back and free her. I think she
will not attack us, for she is too much afraid of the dog. We'll keep him
on a leash and beat it the minute we get the rope."

"But how are we going to get the rope?" demanded Charley.

"Gee! You've got me. Maybe we'll think of something while we're carrying
the packs away."

The two