d they attempt to follow us, to be better able
to defend ourselves in the mountain passes than, from the smallness of
our numbers, we could in the more open ground. In the hurry of
describing more stirring events, I forgot to mention my two young bears.
I did not like to desert them, as I might not have an opportunity of
capturing any others.

Laban at first objected to my dragging them along with me; but at length
he consented, observing, "Well, you know, Dick, if we get hungry, we'll
eat 'em."

Of course I could not but consent to this arrangement. Although the
full-grown grizzly bear is the most ferocious of the ursine race, these
little creatures in a few hours became comparatively tame and contented
with their lot. They trotted alongside of me very willingly, and at
night lay coiled up together like a ball of wool, to keep each other
warm. I gave them a small piece of fat and a little meal porridge, and
that was all they seemed to want, besides sucking their paws, which they
did as babies do their fists when they are hungry. Poor little things!
they seemed to know that they had nobody else but me to look to as their
friend. My friends, the Raggets and their companions, were very kind
people, but they had a decidedly practical turn, and would have eaten my
pets forthwith if I would have let them. I called one Gog and the other
Magog, names about which the honest backwoodsmen, who had never heard
even of Guildhall, knew nothing.

In appearance there was very little difference between them, but there
was a considerable amount in their characters. Gog became much sooner
tame, and was of a more affectionate, gentle, and peaceable disposition.
Magog would sit and growl over any thing given him to play with, and
run off with it away from his brother, while Gog would frisk about and
seem to take pleasure in getting the other to join in his sports. Of
course Gog became the favourite with all hands, and even the children
were not afraid of playing with him, whereas Magog would snap at them,
and very often tumbled them over and hurt them.

"I say, Dick," said Obed to me, "if we want food, we'll eat that Magog
of yours up first."

That is what Magog got for his surliness and ill-temper.

We continued to push on over the mountain-range. It was not all ascent.
Sometimes we came to a level on a wide open space where there was not
much snow, and then we got on rapidly. Our only passage through one
part of the rou