Bif* on $* QRoctar 



plies that they could not wait for snowdrifts to 

 melt out of the trail. Provisions must be had, and 

 Sullivan thought that, by allowing twice the usual 

 time, he could make his way down through the 

 drifts and get back to the cabin with them. So 

 one morning, after telling Jason that he would be 

 back the next evening, he took their burro and 

 set off down the mountain. On the way home 

 next day Sullivan had much difficulty in getting 

 the loaded burro through the snowdrifts, and 

 when within a mile of the cabin, they stuck fast. 

 Sullivan unpacked and rolled, the burro out of 

 the snow, and was busily repacking, when the 

 animal's uneasiness made him look round. 



In the edge of the woods, only a short distance 

 away, were three bears, apparently a mother and 

 her two well-grown children. They were sniffing 

 the air eagerly and appeared somewhat excited. 

 The old bear would rise on her hind paws, sniff 

 the air, then drop back to the ground. She kept 

 her nose pointed toward Sullivan, but did not 

 appear to look at him. Th? smaller bears moved 

 restlessly about; they would walk a few steps in 

 advance, stand erect, draw their fore paws close 



218 



