378 FOUR-FOOTED AMERICANS 



says tliinking of making hoe-cakes by a wood lire takes 

 her straight back to Possum days. Only she's going to 

 bring her griddle to bake the cakes on ; for she says only 

 poor trash that had no griddles baked their cakes on 

 hoes down South, and she wants plent}^ of hot ashes 

 raked out in front." 



'' jNlammy shall be obeyed," said Mr. Blake, arranging 

 the fire. 



^' Yes," said his wife, smiling, " and I think we had 

 better go in a far corner and keep out of Mamm3''s way 

 until suppei' is ready. She is very good-natured, but 

 set in the opinion that ' too many cooks spoil the 

 broth ! ' " 



'' Good advice, as usual. Now look at this picture of 

 the Black Bear. He stands a trifle under three feet at 

 tl»e shoulder, weighs commoidy anywhere from four to 

 six hundred pounds, and in the early part of the winter 

 season at least, wears a smooth, glossy black outside coat 

 that makes his pelt valuable for many purposes, from rugs 

 to fur trimming. He has long claws, and four sharp dog- 

 teeth or meat-eaters. His hind legs seem longer than 

 the fore legs when he ambles along, and he walks on the 

 soles of his feet as man does, which make him what the 

 Wise Men call a ^dctntigrade Mammal. 



" In the more northerly places this Bear lives in dense 

 evergreen forests, and dens up from four to six months 

 in the cold season, but in the South his haunts are 

 among the cane-brakes and tangles of live oaks and 

 palmettos, and he does not hi-ber-nafe. Either in the 

 North or South, however, he is a wary beast to hunt, 

 having keen ears and many cunning ways. He is hard 

 to reach unless trailed by dogs, which method of taking 



