mpanion was able to give.

"I don't _think_ so; I know so; if the gintlemen took the bastes into
the cabin and slipt with the same ivery night, as me rilatives do with
their pigs in Ireland, why ye might think that they had suffered before
the Winnebagos tuk thim away; but they have snaaked up where the animals
was grazin', jumped onto their backs and rid off."

This view of the case was so reasonable, that Fred rallied and half
smiled at his own faintheartedness. He stood erect and drew a deep
breath of satisfaction.

"I believe you are right, but it strikes me that such thieves would have
stolen all instead of half the horses."

"They've lift the ither three for their frinds that I make no doubt will
be along to take thim, if they haven't done so now."

"You know that the loss of a horse is considered almost as bad as the
loss of a man in this part of the world."

"Sometimes he amounts to a good deal more, as me mither--"

Terry paused in his remarks, for just then Fred uttered a
warning--"_Sh!_" to signify that something was in the path in front. The
next moment, he ran several paces to the right and sheltered himself
behind a tree, Terry being only a few seconds behind him.

Both had discovered what it was. A brown bear of moderate size was
waddling along toward them. He had probably struck the trail, and
finding it easier walking than among the trees and undergrowth, was
swinging forward in the direction of the stream that had received such a
visit from the cyclone.

The boys could not know for a minute or two whether the beast had seen
them, but they felt no alarm. As I have said, he was not very large nor
formidable looking, and, if he chose to turn aside to attack them, they
were more than his equal. As it was, their own eagerness to get forward
was all that prevented them from shooting him.

Bruin lumbered ahead in his awkward way, and, as the boys peeped forth,
they fancied that his big brown eyes glanced mischievously at them; but
they were mistaken. He did not see nor scent them, but went by, and, in
a few minutes, disappeared from sight among the trees.

Hardly waiting till he had vanished, the youths stepped back into the
path and resumed the rapid pace at which they had been traveling. The
sun, that had been partly shining from behind the clouds, was low in the
sky, and it was not long before they were journeying in the twilight.
The moon rose early, but its light was so much obscured by the m