The Story of Ben 33 



other of those ideal camping spots, a summit marsh, 

 and here we unpacked the horses, turned them loose, 

 set up our tent, and then looked Ben over to see if any 

 bones were broken. His breathing seemed a little 

 stronger, so I put him in the sun at the foot of a large 

 tree and in a few minutes he staggered to his feet. We 

 always carried a canful of sour dough to make bread 

 with, and Ben was extravagantly fond of this repulsive 

 mixture which he considered a dainty. I now offered 

 him a spoonful of it, and as soon as the smell reached 

 his nostrils he spruced up and began to lap it from the 

 spoon; and from that time on his recovery was rapid. 

 The next day he was as playful as ever and seemed 

 none the worse for his close call. 



Spencer had a great way, when we were about camp 

 and Ben was not looking, of suddenly scuffling his feet 

 on the ground and going ^^Whoof-whoof!" to frighten 

 the cub. This would either send Ben flying up a tree 

 or start him in a mad rush for his moose-skin house 

 before he realized what the noise was. But one evening 

 after this trick had been sprung on the cub several 

 times, we came into camp well after dark, tired, hungry, 

 and not thinking of Ben; and as Spencer passed a 

 large tree there was a sudden and loud scuffling on 

 the ground at his very heels and a couple of genuine 

 '^whoof-whoofs" that no one who had ever heard a 

 bear could mistake. Spencer made a wild leap to one 

 side and was well started on a second before he thought 



