BEET SEES THINGS 105 



sake!" we heard, again and again, in a voice shrill 

 with terror. 



We rose at once and ran to the tent. There on 

 his bed lay Bert, raised on one elbow, his face 

 ghastly and his eyes distended and staring straight 

 at a dark, ungainly shape which stood swaying up- 

 right and groping its laborious way toward hia 

 bed. In one arm it held aloft a formless figure drip- 

 ping blood. By the dim uncanny light the spectacle 

 was gruesome enough. We stood transfixed with 

 horror as the monstrous thing advanced. 



Suddenly Bert uttered a wilder shriek than all and 

 fell over unconscious. At the same moment a ray 

 of moonlight shining through a hole in the roof of 

 the tent showed us O'Brien's bear, Teddy, with one 

 of those fiendish hogs, evidently just killed, clutched 

 firmly in his forepaws. 



As Bert's yells ceased the bear promptly squatted 

 down and began to eat the slaughtered animaL 

 Our first terror vanished, but we still hesitated about 

 endeavouring to influence Teddy's actions, much as 

 we desired his absence. Nor did we wish to shoot 

 him, since O'Brien had told us he was harmless if 

 left alone. We were finally forced to send for his 

 master, who tied a rope around his neck and led him 

 home, apologising in the meantime for the trouble 

 he had caused. 



It was some time before Bert came to. He imme- 

 diately swore never to touch another drop of liquor 

 as long as he lived. Unlike most such pledges, I be- 



