an impression upon the trunks with
his teeth and claws, that the boys feared he might take it into his head
to cut down the trees altogether. He could easily have accomplished
this; but, fortunately for them, the grizzly bear is not gifted with
reasoning faculties, else their fate would have been a terrible one
indeed.

When he found, at length, that he could neither drag down the trees, nor
shake the boys out of them, he gave up the attempt; and for a time
walked from one to the other, backwards and forwards, like a sentry, now
and then uttering a loud "sniff," and at intervals growling fiercely.
At length he stretched his huge body along the ground, and appeared to
sleep!

What had become of the female and the cub? Had both fallen by the shots
fired at them? Neither had as yet made their appearance on the summit--
for the boys from their perch could see every inch of its surface. They
were still in the ravine then; but whether dead or alive could not be
determined. The dog Marengo, by a wise instinct, had not attacked the
bear, but had escaped to one edge of the table, where he was crouching
and cowering with fear, taking care not to put himself in the way of
being seen.

The young hunters were now in a worse situation than ever. They dared
not venture out of the trees without the certainty of dropping into the
jaws of the monster; and they were suffering pain as they sat straddled
across the slender branches of the pines. Besides, they were thirsty--
thirsty to an extreme degree. They had taken no water with them in the
morning. The sun was fiercely hot; and, even while engaged in skinning
the big-horns, they had been complaining for want of water. They now
began to suffer from thirst, more than from any other cause. Should the
bear remain for any length of time, what would become of them? They
must either drop down to be at once torn to pieces, or perish slowly
where they sat. These were the alternatives!

They could make no change in their situation. Their guns were upon the
ground, where in their haste they had flung them. They dared not
descend to recover them. They were utterly helpless; and could do
nothing but await the result. As if to tantalise them, they now beheld
for the first time the objects of their far expedition--the animals they
had so long desired to come up with--_the buffaloes_! Away to the
south-west a multitude of black bodies were seen upon the plain, like
crowds of men