not to be accomplished without noise.

But I kept on with the light on my left, knowing that if I kept it in
that position I must be going in the correct direction; and it was
necessary to keep this in mind, as every now and then a tree or a block
of stone forced me to diverge.

The men were talking loudly, and now and then there arose a rough burst
of laughter, while there was no doubt about who the party were, for I
heard an allusion made to the Fort.

Just then, as we were about level with the fire, a piece of a branch
upon which I pressed my knee gave a loud crack, and the conversation
ceased instantly.

We neither of us moved, but crouched there, listening to our beating
hearts, and expecting to have either a shot sent in our direction, or to
see part of the men come rushing toward us.

At last, after what seemed to be quite ten minutes, a voice said--

"Hear that?"

"Yes," was growled.

"What was it?"

"Don't know."

They began talking again slowly, and by degrees the conversation grew
general and loud.

"Go along," I whispered, after carefully removing the dead branch, and
once more our rustling progress began.

Oh, how slow it was, and how I longed to jump up and run. But we were
in the opening of the little valley now, and our only chance was to
creep on till we were well beyond the light cast by the fire, and so we
persevered.

At last, after creeping along inch by inch, we paused, for in front of
us the undergrowth ceased, and I saw an open patch of sand faintly lit
by the fire, and across this we must pass to reach the shelter beyond.

"Go on first," whispered Esau, and, drawing a _long_ breath, I started,
going as silently and quickly as I could into the darkness of the
shelter beyond, and turned to look at Esau.

From where I knelt I could see the fire clearly, and as he came across,
I was thinking how animal-like he looked, when I fancied I saw a
movement, and before I could be sure, there was a flash, a loud report,
and a twig dropped from over my head upon one of my hands.

"Bear! bear!" shouted a voice, and the men sprang to their feet. But by
this time Esau was alongside of me, and rising up we hurried along in a
stooping position, leaving the eager voices more and more behind, the
men being evidently hunting for the bear one of them believed that he
had shot.

"Was he firing at me?" said Esau.

"Yes; he saw you, I suppose."

"But he might have hit me," cried Esau, indignan