A TASTE OF MAINE BIRCH, 



Lot's wife, her curiosity got the better of hei j 

 stopped to have a final look, and her travek em 

 there and then. 



Uncle Nathan had trapped and shot a gr< at main 

 bears, and some of his experiences revealed an un 

 usual degree of sagacity in this animal. One April 

 when the weather began to get warm and thaw., an 

 old bear left her den in the rocks and built a lai 

 warm nest of grass, leaves, and the bark of the white 

 cedar, under a tall balsam fir that stood in a low, 

 sunny, open place amid the mountains. Hither 

 conducted her two cubs, and the family began life in 

 what might be called their spring residence. The 

 tree above them was for shelter, and for refuge 

 the cubs in case danger approached, as it soon did in 

 the form of Uncle Nathan. He happened that way 

 soon after the bear had moved. Seeing her track in 

 the snow, lie concluded to follow it. When the bear 

 had passed, the snow had been soft and sposhy, and 

 she had u slumped," he said, several inches. It was 

 now hard and slippery. As he neared the tree 

 track turned and doubled, and tacked this way and 

 that, and led through the worst brush and brambl 

 tr» be found. This was a shrewd thought of the old 

 bear; she could thus hear her enemy coming a long 

 time before he drew very near. When Uncle Nathan 

 finally reached the nest, he found it empty, but still 

 'warm. Then he began to circle about and look fol 

 the bear's footprints or nail-prints upon the frozen 

 snow. Not finding them the first time, he took B 

 larger circle, then a still larger; finally he mad. a 

 long detour, and spent nearly an hour searching lot 

 some clew to the direction the bear had taken, but all 

 to no purpose. Then he returned to the tree and 



