THE BEAR MAKES A JOURNEY 77 
barrels of pork, flour, sugar, and molasses are put 
away for safe-keeping. Windows and doors are 
boarded over and securely fastened, as a protection 
against marauding animals; but in spite of these 
precautions, the bears sometimes break in and steal. 
We found such a place one day in the woods. 
The black rascals had torn off the boards from the 
log-house door and had rolled out a puncheon of 
molasses. With their sharp teeth and claws they 
had broken a hole through the tough oak head and 
with their paws had dipped out every drop from 
the cask. Now that we had an opportunity to 
observe at close view the sagacity of little Bruno, 
it was easier for us to understand how his wild 
brothers could be such ingenious thieves. 
One noon, on the shores of the lake, as we were 
preparing to “boil the kettle,’ I hada surprise. 
Joe, our Indian guide, coming out from the bushes 
where he had gone for dry wood to kindle our fire, 
made an announcement. “One big black bear, he 
been killed here day before yes’day.” 
On the other side of the point of land from where 
we were lunching, Joe had found a deserted camp- 
ing-place that recently had been occupied. Beside 
the fireplace he came upon the skull of a black 
bear, and near-by, on the ground, lay the big fore- 
paws of the animal. These he now held up to 
my view. 
