60 TRUE BEAR STORIES. 



bear; easily tamed, too lazy to fight, unless 

 forced to it. But when "cornered" he fights 

 well, and, like a lion, bites to the bone. 



After this comes the small and quarrel- 

 some black bear with big ears, and a white 

 spot on his breast. I have heard hunters 

 say, but I don't quite believe it, that he 

 sometimes points to this white spot on his 

 breast as a sort of Free Mason's sign, as if 

 to say, "Don't shoot." Next in order comes 

 the smaller black bear with small ears. He 

 is ubiquitous, as well as omniverous; 

 gets into pig-pens, knocks over your bee- 

 hives, breaks open your milk-house, eats 

 more than two good-sized hogs ought to 

 eat, and is off for the mountain top before 

 you dream he is about. The first thing you 

 see in the morning, however, will be some 

 muddy tracks on the door steps. For he 

 always comes and snuffles and shuffles and 

 smells about the door in a good-natured 

 sort of way, and leaves his card. The fifth 

 member of the great bear family is not 



