ould clench her little fists and beat me on the breast
as hard as ever she could, and then she would sink back laughing as the
humor of the situation captured her.

She was trying to teach me some verbs by going through the actions
herself as she repeated the proper word. We were very much
engrossed--so much so that we were giving no heed to what went on
beyond our cave--when Ajor stopped very suddenly, crying: "Kazor!" Now
she had been trying to teach me that ju meant stop; so when she cried
kazor and at the same time stopped, I thought for a moment that this
was part of my lesson--for the moment I forgot that kazor means beware.
I therefore repeated the word after her; but when I saw the expression
in her eyes as they were directed past me and saw her point toward the
entrance to the cave, I turned quickly--to see a hideous face at the
small aperture leading out into the night. It was the fierce and
snarling countenance of a gigantic bear. I have hunted silvertips in
the White Mountains of Arizona and thought them quite the largest and
most formidable of big game; but from the appearance of the head of
this awful creature I judged that the largest grizzly I had ever seen
would shrink by comparison to the dimensions of a Newfoundland dog.

Our fire was just within the cave, the smoke rising through the
apertures between the rocks that I had piled in such a way that they
arched inward toward the cliff at the top. The opening by means of
which we were to reach the outside was barricaded with a few large
fragments which did not by any means close it entirely; but through the
apertures thus left no large animal could gain ingress. I had depended
most, however, upon our fire, feeling that none of the dangerous
nocturnal beasts of prey would venture close to the flames. In this,
however, I was quite evidently in error, for the great bear stood with
his nose not a foot from the blaze, which was now low, owing to the
fact that I had been so occupied with my lesson and my teacher that I
had neglected to replenish it.

Ajor whipped out her futile little knife and pointed to my rifle. At
the same time she spoke in a quite level voice entirely devoid of
nervousness or any evidence of fear or panic. I knew she was exhorting
me to fire upon the beast; but this I did not wish to do other than as
a last resort, for I was quite sure that even my heavy bullets would
not more than further enrage him--in which case he might eas