Lighting one he picked his way carefully toward the place where he
had been lying, peering into the shadows ahead of him suspiciously
as he went.

"There he is," breathed Tad.

He could faintly make out the figure of the bear lying half on its
side as it had been before, the only difference being that the
animal's head was stretched out on the ground instead of on the
lad's chest.

"I believe he's dead. He must be or he'd have been after me before
this," decided the boy. "I 'm going to find out."

Mustering his courage, Tad continued his cautious approach, lighting
match after match, shading the flame with his hands so that the
light would not get into his eyes and prevent him from seeing
anything ahead of him.

It required no little courage for a boy alone in the mountains to
walk up to a bear, not knowing whether the animal were dead or
alive. Yet when Tad Butler made up his mind to do a certain thing,
he persisted until he had accomplished it.

He reached the side of the animal, that is, close enough so that he
could get a good view of it.

The bear never moved and Tad drew closer, walking on his toes that
he might make no sound. There seemed no other way to make certain
except to stir the animal.