154 
THE BED MOUNTAIN OF ALASKA. 
silence, " whether we are deliberately walking into 
another Indian village." 
Something as near a smile as ever lights an Indian 
face agitated the stolid features of the two guides. 
" Do you think it is an Ay an trail ? " asked the leader, 
not noticing the flicker of merriment in the faces of the 
two Indians. 
Joe merely shook his head, but John solved the prob- 
lem with one word, — ^ 
Bears!" 
Teddy's cheeks grew pale under his freckles. 
" Sure, is it to them bastes we'll be afther comin' all 
this way ! " he muttered, glancing in every direction. 
He did not have much time for reflection, however. 
At that moment the expedition emerged on a small open 
space, in the centre of which was a pool, surrounded by 
low, boggy banks. The trees near by had mostly fallen, 
and lay about in all stages of decay. But it was not this 
that arrested the attention of our friends. 
A little to one side, not far from the " path," were 
three animals, busily engaged in pawing and pushing over 
the prostrate trunks and roots in search of larvoB. Now 
and then one would run out his tongue and pick off a 
delicate morsel. No bevy of school children, off on a 
picnic, gathering blueberries, could have enjoyed them- 
selves more heartily than these great, furry creatures. 
For, beyond a doubt, they were good-sized brown bears, 
every one of them. 
