In the Sierra 



turned and fled, closely pursued. Unable 

 to reach a suitable tree for climbing, he 

 ran to the camp and scrambled up to the 

 roof of the little cabin ; the bear followed, 

 but did not climb to the roof, only stood 

 glaring up at him for a few minutes, threat- 

 ening him and holding him in mortal ter- 

 ror, then went to her cubs, called them 

 down, went to the flock, caught a sheep 

 for supper, and vanished in the brush. As 

 soon as the bear left the cabin the trem- 

 bling Antone begged Joe to show him a 

 good safe tree, up which he climbed like 

 a sailor climbing a mast, and remained as 

 long as he could hold on, the tree being 

 almost branchless. After these disastrous ex- 

 periences the two shepherds chopped and 

 gathered large piles of dry wood and made 

 a ring of fire around the corral every night, 

 while one with a gun kept watch from a 

 comfortable stage built on a neighboring 

 pine that commanded a view of the corral. 

 This evening the show made by the circle 



[ 283 ] 



