170 THE AMERICAJ5 BLACK BEAR. 



latter was tiie case. The bear had climbed a huge 

 tree, and then disappeared into a hole where the 

 branches forked, about thirty feet from the ground. 



At the foot of the tree the dogs were dancing about 

 in a state of great excitement at the escape of their 

 prey, scratching at. the ground, and gnawing at the 

 roots ; some of the old ones were stretched out, seem- 

 ingly perfectly exhausted with the sharp chase, though 

 as soon as the hunters made their appearance they 

 leaped up, ready and willing to renew their efforts at 

 the shortest notice. By some oversight, which seldom 

 occurs in an American hunting-party, no one had 

 thought of bringing an axe, and for a few seconds we 

 all stared at each other, looking, as may be supposed, 

 very foolish. 



'What's to be done, Ben ? ' asked Major C . 



' Why, make him show out, to be sure,' was the re- 

 sponse. 



'It's all very well to say that, Ben,' replied the 

 Major; 'but how, in the name of heaven, are we to 

 do it ? ' 



' Smoke I ' 



' Of course ! how thick-headed I must be not to have 

 thought of that.' 



' If, as I fancy, the tree is hollow right down to the 

 roots,' continued old Thompson, 'we'll make a fire 

 there, and soon cure his bacon ; and if it isn't, why, we 

 can throw some moss and chunks of dry wood up into 



