THE SEVEN SLEEPERS 183 



shielded by bushes, and it seemed unbelievable that 

 so large an animal could have forced his shoulders 

 through so small a hole. The burrow was jug-shaped, 

 spreading out inside and sloping up, while a dry 

 shelf had been dug out in the bank. This was covered 

 with layers of dry leaves and a big blanket of withered 

 grass. In the top of the bank a tiny hole had been 

 dug, which opened out in some thick bushes and was 

 probably an air-hole. Just outside the entrance, a 

 bear had piled an armful of dry sticks, evidently 

 intending, when he had finally entered the hole, to 

 pull them over the entrance and entirely hide it. 

 The bear itself turned out to be a young one. A 

 veteran would have died fighting before giving up 

 the secret of his winter castle. 



The opal water was all glimmering green and gold 

 and crimson, as it whirled under overhanging boughs 

 aflame with the fires of fall. The air tasted of frost, 

 and had the color of pale gold. Around sudden 

 curves, through twisted channels, and down gleam- 

 ing vistas, our canoe followed the crooked stream as 

 it ran through the pine-barrens. The woods on either 

 side were glories of color. There was the scarlet of 

 the mountain sumac, with its winged leaves, and the 

 deep purple of the star-leaved sweet-gum. Sassafras 

 trees were lemon-yellow or wine-red. The persim- 

 mon was the color of gold, while the poison sumac, 

 with its death-pale bark, and venomous leaves up- 

 curled as if ready to sting, flaunted the regal red- 

 and-yellow of Spain. 



