"That must contain fish," observed the mother; "but we are without
the means of catching them."
"Unless Linna will jump in and haul them out for us. But if we are
to continue our journey, we must find some way of getting to the
other side; it is too deep and wide to ford or jump."
"It must be narrower in other places."
"Oh! look mamma!"
It was Alice who first saw a terrifying sight. An immense black
bear, the largest any of the party had ever seen, swung from among
the trees and came to the water's edge on the other side.
He was so enormous that all started and recoiled a step, even Linna
uttering an exclamation in her own tongue. Ben grasped his rifle,
and held it ready to use the instant it became necessary.
But Bruin was in a gracious mood that morning. He looked at the
party with stupid curiosity, then reared on his hind legs, and
swung his beam-.like paws in an odd way.
"He is inviting us to come over and be hugged to death," laughed
Ben.
"He will come over and eat us all up," said Alice, clinging to the
dress of her mother.
"No," replied the parent, soothingly patting her head; "Ben won't
let him do that. Do not be frightened."
"Climb tree," suggested Linna; "not big tree, 'cause bear climb
dat too--climb little tree, den he can't climb it.
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