on 



if the door would be broken in. Sullivan and 

 Jason hurriedly knocked their slab bed to pieces 

 and used the slats and heavy sides to prop and 

 strengthen the door. The bears kept surging and 

 clawing at the door, and while the prospectors 

 were spiking the braces against it and giving 

 their entire attention to it, they suddenly felt the 

 cabin shake and heard the logs strain and give. 

 They started back, to see the big bear struggling 

 in the window. Only the smallness of the window 

 had prevented the bear from getting in unnoticed, 

 and surprising them while they were bracing the 

 door. The window was so small that the bear in 

 trying to get in had almost wedged fast. With 

 hind paws on the ground, fore paws on the window- 

 sill, and shoulders against the log over the window, 

 the big bear was in a position to exert all her enor- 

 mous strength. Her efforts to get in sprung the 

 logs and gave the cabin the shake which warned. 

 Sullivan grabbed one of the steel drills and 

 dealt the bear a terrible blow on the head. She 

 gave a growl of mingled pain and fury as she 

 freed herself from the window. Outside she 

 backed off growling. 



222 



