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. 
