6 4 



The Black Bear. 



tremendous blow with his paw at his enemy, whose tall hat was 

 knocked completely over his eyes. He escaped being scalped by 

 dropping flat and rolling out of the reach of the bear. This bear 

 spent much of his time in the tree to which he was chained, and 

 when climbing usually got his chain twisted over and under the 

 branches in a most intricate manner, but never failed to take out 

 every turn as he descended. A friend, who owned a tame bear, told 

 me that, for a long time, he could not account for the mysterious way 

 in which the poultry disappeared. Observing, at different times, a 

 good many feathers around Bruin's pole, he began to suspect that the 

 bear was the culprit. Close watching confirmed his suspicions. 

 When Bruin thought he was unobserved, he would seize any unfort- 

 unate hen or chicken within his reach and devour it ; but if any one 

 approached before he could complete the meal, he would sit upon his 

 prey until the danger of discovery had passed. He was betrayed, 

 at last, by the cackling of an old hen that he had failed to silence. 



