52 TRUE BEAR STORIES. 



of the big gum caved in, and, to his infinite 

 delight, out rolled the twins! 



But they were merely the ghosts of them- 

 selves. They had been kept in a month 

 or more too long, and were now so weak 

 and so lean that they could hardly stand 

 on their feet. 



"Kill 'em and put 'em out o' misery," 

 said Reese, for run from him they really 

 could not, and he came forward and kicked 

 one of them flat down on its face as it was 

 trying hard to stand on its four feet. 



The boy had grown some; besides, he 

 was just from the war and was now strong 

 and well. He rushed up in front of Reese, 

 and he must have looked unfriendly, for Sil 

 Reese tried to smile, and then at the same 

 time he turned hastily to go into the house. 

 And when he got fairly turned around, 

 the boy kicked him precisely where he had 

 kicked the bear. And he kicked him hard, 

 so hard that he pitched forward on his face 

 just as the bear had done. He got up 

 quickly, but he did not look back. He 



