XO KUNNING IF HK CLOSKS WITH US.” 
431 
u 
liis eye in our direction and saw tliat wo were pulling 
liurriedly toward the bear,— “ confound it ! There’s a boat 
pulling right up for the bear: they’ll drive him back into 
tlie woods. Did you ever see any thing so provoking?” 
“I wonder people haven’t got more sense!” muttered 
Lawton, in an angry whisper. “They must know that 
we are here waiting for him, and yet tlicy run that chance 
of driving him to the bush. I wish she’d run aground. 
Miserable foolishness!” 
“Remember what we agreed about ^standing by’ each 
other here,” said Williams; “there’s to be no running if 
lie closes with us ; I couldn’t keep up.” The doctor and 
Lawton laughed, in spite of their chagrin at our approach; 
and then ensued an interval of silence, followed by dis- 
connecteTi remarks as to the approaching crisis. 
Bruin was now getting close enough to cause them to 
low'd' their voices to a wLisper. He was about two or 
three hundred yards off, lumbering along about as fast as 
a man would ordinarily Avalk, and apparently unconscious 
of either ambush or boat. The doctor, therefore, with 
liis usual weariness, cautioned them to silence. 
“Hush! hush!” he whispered. “He is close enough 
now to hear. Fortunatclv the wdnd is comina: from him 
to US and his nose -will bo of no use to him. If we can 
only keep out of his sight and hold our tongues, he \vill 
come right upon us before he suspects any thing. We 
will let him get as for as that buncli of grass before we 
fire, and then we can make a sure thing of it.” He 
pointed with his pale but steady finger to a clump of 
dried sea-weed which the ebbing tide had left eleven 
feet from the place of ambush, drew a long breath to 
