of a bear eating its food.

The comical bear rose a little higher on his hind paws, and
looked in astonishment at the motionless figure that uttered
sounds so familiar. Yet the figure was not familiar. He had
never seen a human being before, and the shape and outline were
very strange to him. It might be some new kind of animal, and he
was disposed to be inquiring, because there was nothing in these
forests which the black bear was afraid of until man came.

He advanced a step or two and growled gently. Then he reared up
again on his hind paws, and cocked his held to one side in his
amusing manner. Henry, still motionless, smiled at him. Here,
for an instant at least, was a cheery visitor and companionship.
He at least would not break the spell.

"You look almost as if you could talk, old fellow," he said to
himself, "and if I knew your language I'd ask you a lot of
questions."

The bear, too, was motionless now, torn by doubt and curiosity.
It certainly was a singular figure that sat there, fifteen or
twenty yards before him, and he had the most intense curiosity to
solve the mystery of this creature. But caution held him back.

There was a sudden flaw in the light breeze. It shifted about
and brought the dreadful man odor to the nostrils of the honest
black bear. It was something entirely new to him, but it
contained the quality of fear. That still strange figure was his
deadliest foe. Dropping down upon his four paws, he fled among