84 TRUE BEAR STORIES. 



stood. But, as we had no powder or bul- 

 lets, and as Ed could not get them to us, 

 even if he would have been willing to risk 

 our shooting at the bear, it was hard to 

 decide what to do. It was already dusk 

 and we could not stay there all night. 



"Boys," shouted Ed, at last, as he stead- 

 ied himself in the forks of a leaning and 

 overhanging bough, "I'm going to come 

 down on my laz rope. There, take that end 

 of it, tie your laz ropes to it and scramble 

 up the hill." 



We obeyed him to the letter, and as we 

 did so, he fastened his lasso firmly to the 

 leaning bough and descended like a spider 

 to where we had stood a moment before. 

 We all scrambled up out of the canyon to- 

 gether and as quickly as possible. 



When we went back next day to get our 

 ropes we found the bear dead near the root 

 of the old mossy maple. The skin was a 

 splendid one, and Ed insisted that my 

 brother and I should have it, and we gladly 

 accepted it. 



