BUSINESS AND ROMANCE 311 



blazin' away nearly as big as ever. The heat seemed to make 

 me drowsy, for I began to doze once more. Ail at once I heard 

 the dogs blowin' so hard " 



"Blowing?" 



"Yes, that's right; they were blowin'; for geddies don't 

 bark hke other dogs when they're frightened. Well, as I was 

 sayin', they were blowin' so hard that my hair nearly stood on 

 end. Like a shot I throws off me blanket an' jumps to me 

 feet, for I knowed what was comin'. The Captain an' the 

 Archdeacon heard them, too, an' we all grabbed at once for the 

 only gun, a single-barrelled muzzle-loader. 



"As ill luck would have it, the Archdeacon was nearest to 

 that gun an' grabbed it, an' by the time we was straightened 

 up we sees a great big white bear rushin' at us. Quick as 

 thought the Archdeacon points the gun at the bear an' puUs 

 the trigger, but the hammer only snaps upon the bare nipple; 

 for the cap had tumbled off in the scramble. There was no 

 time for re-cappin'; so, bein' the nearest to the chargin' bear, 

 the Archdeacon just drops the old gun an' runs for dear hfe 

 around that fire with me an' the Captin followin' close behind 

 him. 



"When I seen the way the Archdeacon an' the Captin went 

 a saihn' round that fire, it fairly took me breath away; for 

 somehow I never had any idea that them two old cripples had 

 so much speed left in 'em. An' you can bet it kep' me im- 

 usually busy bringin' up the rear; an', anyway, the feehn' 

 that the bear was for ever snappin' at me coat-tails kep' me 

 from takin' things too easy. 



"Well, we tore round an' round an' round that fire so dang 

 many times that we was not only rapidly losin' our wind but we 

 was beginnin' to get dizzy into the bargain. All the time we 

 could hear the great beast thunderin' after us, yet we daren't 

 slacken our pace; no, sir, not even enough to take a single 

 glance behind just to see which was gainin'. It was a sure 



