24 The Black Bear 



dislodged a large section of loosely hanging bark which 

 came down with much noise, striking the head pack- 

 horse squarely across the back; and this was almost 

 instantly followed by the falling of the old tree itself, 

 which came down with a crash of breaking limbs and 

 dead branches, and sent up a cloud of dust that com- 

 pletely hid Ben and his cavorting mount as they tore 

 down the mountain. This was too much for the lead- 

 ing pony, who already stood shivering with excitement, 

 and turning sharp to the right he shot off around the 

 side of the mountain. 



The other horses were quickly tied up, and while 

 Spencer hurried after the runaway leader I took down 

 through the burned timber after Baldy. Had the 

 latter known how hard it had been to shake that same 

 little bear from the limb of the old tree, he never would 

 have spent so much energy in trying to buck him off 

 the top of the pack. Ben had not looked in the least 

 troubled as he was hurried past us, but had appar- 

 ently felt himself complete master of the situation. 

 He had, however, almost instantly disappeared from 

 view, and soon even the sound of the bounding pony 

 and the breaking of the dead branches as the pack 

 hit them was no longer to be heard. The only things 

 that marked their course were the deep imprints of the 

 pony's feet and the dust cloud that was settling down 

 among the dead and blackened timber. Hurrying 

 along this easily followed trail I at last reached the 



