[Illustration]

One day he went down on the Graybull flat to dig some roots that his
Mother had taught him were good. But before he had well begun, a
grayish-looking animal came out of a hole in the ground and rushed at
him, hissing and growling. Wahb did not know it was a Badger, but he saw
it was a fierce animal as big as himself. He was sick, and lame too,
so he limped away and never stopped till he was on a ridge in the next
canon. Here a Coyote saw him, and came bounding after him, calling at
the same time to another to come and join the fun. Wahb was near a
tree, so he scrambled up to the branches. The Coyotes came bounding and
yelping below, but their noses told them that this was a young Grizzly
they had chased, and they soon decided that a young Grizzly in a tree
means a Mother Grizzly not far away, and they had better let him alone.

[Illustration]

After they had sneaked off Wahb came down and returned to the Piney.
There was better feeding on the Graybull, but every one seemed against
him there now that his loving guardian was gone, while on the Piney he
had peace at least sometimes, and there were plenty of trees that he
could climb when an enemy came.

His broken foot was a long time in healing; indeed, it never got
quite well. The wound healed and the soreness wore off, but it left a
stiffness that gave him a slight limp, and the sole-balls grew together
quite unlike those of the other foot. It particularly annoyed him when
he had to climb a tree or run fast from his enemies; and of them he
found no end, though never once did a friend cross his path. When he
lost his Mother he lost his best and only friend. She would have taught