The Story of Ben 25 



bottom of the gorge and found the tracks still leading 

 up the opposite slope. But the horse had soon tired 

 of the strenuous work of the steep ascent, and after 

 a couple of hundred yards he had come to a standstill 

 in a thick clump of trees and underbrush that had 

 escaped the fire. Ben was still sitting in his place as 

 unconcerned as though nothing had happened, but was 

 liberally covered with ashes and did not seem to be in 

 the best of humors. The pack did not appear to have 

 slipped any and so I undid the lead rope and started 

 back toward where the pack train had been left. 



But when only a few yards on the way the pony 

 suddenly bolted ahead, nearly knocking me down as 

 he tried to get past. I brought him to a halt with a 

 few sharp yanks on the rope, and then kept a careful 

 eye to the rear to find out what it was that was start- 

 ling him. I did not suspect Ben because none of the 

 horses had ever shown the least fear of him, had always 

 allowed him to run about them as they did the dogs, 

 and no one of them had ever even kicked at him. 

 Nevertheless I had noticed that the cub seemed grumpy 

 when we put him on Baldy, and remembered that at 

 first he had bawled and tried to get down. So I kept 

 my eye on him. And the first thing I knew I saw him 

 push out his upper lip, as all bears do when mad and 

 out of humor, reach out stealthily one of his hind legs, 

 and with a sharp stroke drive his catlike claws into 

 Baldy's rump. So here was the cause of all the trouble. 



