My First Summer 



purple shafts of the firs, which showed that 

 we were nearing an open spot, and here 

 Carlo came behind me, evidently sure that 

 the bear was very near. So I crept to a low 

 ridge of moraine boulders on the edge 

 of a narrow garden meadow, and in this 

 meadow I felt pretty sure the bear must be. 

 I was anxious to get a good look at the 

 sturdy mountaineer without alarming him; 

 so drawing myself up noiselessly back of 

 one of the largest of the trees I peered past 

 its bulging buttresses, exposing only a part 

 of my head, and there stood neighbor Bruin 

 within a stone's throw, his hips covered by 

 tall grass and flowers, and his front feet on 

 the trunk of a fir that had fallen out into 

 the meadow, which raised his head so high 

 that he seemed to be standing erect. He 

 had not yet seen me, but was looking and 

 listening attentively, showing that in some 

 way he was aware of our approach. I watched 

 his gestures and tried to make the most of 

 my opportunity to learn what I could about 

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