While Balser was vainly endeavouring to watch the conflict at the wagon, he heard a noise at the root of the tree in which he had taken refuge, and, looking down, he discovered a black monster standing quietly beneath him. It was a bear that had been attracted to the scene of battle by the noise. Balser at once thought, “Could I kill this huge bear, his great carcass certainly would satisfy the hunger of the wolves that surround my father.” Accordingly he lowered the point of his gun, and, taking as good aim as the darkness would permit, he fired upon the bear. The bear gave forth a frightful growl of rage and pain, and as it did so its companion, a beast of enormous size, came running up, apparently for the purpose of rendering assistance. [Illustration: “... IMAGINE HIS CONSTERNATION WHEN HE RECOGNIZED THE FORMS OF LINEY FOX AND HER BROTHER TOM.”] Balser hastily reloaded his gun and prepared to shoot the other bear. This he soon did, and while the wolves howled about his father the two wounded bears at the foot of the tree made night hideous with their ravings. Such a frightful bedlam of noises had never before been heard. Balser was again loading his gun, hoping to finish the bears, when he saw two lighted torches approaching along the path over which he had just come, and as they came into view imagine his consternation when he recognized the forms of Liney Fox and her brother Tom. Tom carried his father’s gun, for Mr. Fox had gone to Brookville, and Liney, in addition to her torch, carried Tom’s hatchet. Liney and Tom were approaching rapidly, and Balser called out to them to stop. They did not hear him, or did not heed him, but continued to go forward to their death. The bears at the foot of the tree were wounded, and would be more dangerous than even the pack of wolves howling at the wagon. “Go back! Go back!” cried Balser desperately, “or you’ll be killed. Two wounded bears are at the root of the tree I’m in, and a hundred wolves are howling in the hollow just below me. Run for your lives! Run! You’ll be torn in pieces if you come here.” The boy and girl did not stop, but continued to walk rapidly toward the spot from which they had heard Balser call. The clouds had drifted away from the moon, and now that the light was of little use to Balser—for he was intent upon saving Liney and Tom—there was plenty of it. [Illustration: “... HE FELL A DISTANCE OF TEN OR TWELVE FEET, ... AND LAY HALF STUNNED.”]