46 TRUE BEAR STORIES. 



other man's name was Sil Reese. He, also, 

 is living and famously rich as rich as he 

 is stingy, and that is saying that he is very 

 cich indeed. 



The boy preferred the trees to the house, 

 partly because it was more pleasant and 

 partly because Sil Reese, who had a large 

 nose and used it to talk with constantly, 

 kept grumbling because the boy, who had 

 been wounded in defending the ranch, waa 

 not able to work wash the dishes, make 

 fires and so on, and help in a general and 

 particular way about the so-called "Sodi 

 Spring Hotel." This Sil Reese was cer 

 tainly a mean man, as has, perhaps, been 

 set down in this sketch before. 



The baby bears were found asleep, and 

 alone. How they came to be there, and, 

 above all, how they came to be left long 

 enough alone by their mother for a feeble 

 boy to rush forward at sight of them, catch 

 them up in his arms and escape with them, 

 will always be a wonder. But this one 

 thing is certain, you had about as well 



