NAT'S SHAGGY PUP. 
155 
The moment the two parties saw each other, Teddy's 
voice was raised in a cry of terror ; and the three bears, 
without waiting for a further introduction to the stran- 
gers, wheeled about and dashed into the bride at the 
top of their speed. It was well known to Mr. Button 
that the bears of the Northwest, while extremely danger- 
ous if brought to bay or surprised at close quarters, always 
obey their first instinct to run, when they can get the 
chance. 
Convinced that there was no further danger from their 
ursine neighbors, he gave the word to advance ; and an 
hour later the green oasis was reached in safety. It was 
elevated about sixty feet from the surrounding plateau, 
and was nearly a quarter of a mile from the river, whose 
rushing waters could be plainly heard. At the summit 
of the mound was a broken heap of large rocks, among 
the crevices of which grew the little spruces that had 
escaped the fire, or sprung up since its date. It was 
plain that the whole hill was a mere pile of boulders, cov- 
ered ages ago with moss, decayed wood, and slowly form- 
ing forest mould, thus affording sustenance for the ferns 
and larger growths upon its rugged sides. Nat soon 
spied a sheltered cranny among the rocks, large enough to 
accommodate the whole party, and here they resolved to 
camp for the night. At the base of the knoll was a 
spring of delicious cold water, the ground round about 
showing marks of many generations of bears, caribou, and 
moose, who had slaked their tliirst from its clear depths. 
