like a serious wound. With a growl of fury the
brute made straight for him.

What would the boy have given, as he sped down the mountain side, were
he now in his wagon, whirled over the prairie at a rate which would
enable him to laugh to scorn any such speed as that of the brute.

At first he had hopes of reaching his refuge, but he was not long in
seeing that it was impossible, and found that if he escaped he must
find some refuge very speedily.

When he suddenly found himself beneath a goodly-sized tree it looked
like a providential indication to him, and throwing his gun to the
ground, he ascended the tree in the shortest time that he had ever
made.

He was none too soon as it was, for the bear was so close beneath him
that he felt the brush of its claws along his feet, as he nervously
jerked them beyond its reach.

Hastily scrambling to the very top of the tree, he secured himself
among the limbs, and then glanced down to see what his enemy was
doing. Great was his relief to find him sitting on his haunches,
contenting himself with merely casting wistful glances upward.

The sensation of even temporary safety was a relief, but when a full
hour had dragged by, with scarcely a single change of position upon
the part of the brute, Johnny began to ask himself what was to be the
end of all this.

It looked as though the grizzly had resolved in making his dinner upon
the youngster who had dared to fire a shot at him. The patience of an
animal is proverbially greater than that of a human being, and that of
the bear certainly exceeded to a great degree that of his expected
prey who crouched in the limbs above.

CHAPTER XII. THE GRIZZLY BEAR.

FROM WHERE young Brainerd was perched on the tree it was impossible to
catch a glimpse of the steam man, so patiently awaiting his return.
The distance was also too great for him to make himself beard by the
miners, who were hard at work twenty miles away.

Fruitful in expedients, it was not long before the boy found a
resource in his trouble. Tearing a large strip from his coat, he tore
this into smaller strips, until he had secured a rope half a dozen
yards in length. Upon the end of this he placed a loop, and then,
descending to the lowest limb, he devoted himself to the task of
drooping it over the end of his gun. It fortunately had fallen in such
a manner that the muzzle was somewhat elevated, so that here was a
good opportunity for the exerci