"Climb tree," suggested Linna; "not big tree, 'cause bear climb dat too--climb little tree, den he can't climb it." "You are right, but we will wait and see what he does. I don't want to fire my gun unless I have to, and if he will let us alone we won't hurt him. There! he is going to drink." The huge creature bent his head down to the water and helped himself. When he had had enough, he raised his snout and again looked at the party, who were closely watching him. This was the critical moment. If he meant to attack them, he would plunge into the water and either swim or wade across. Ben raised the hammer of his rifle and awaited his action. Had Bruin been hungry, he would not have dallied so long; but he did not seem to see anything specially tempting in the group, and lumbered off among the trees. "A lucky move for you." remarked Ben. "And just as lucky for us," added the mother; "for though you might have slain him, as I have no doubt you would, the report of the gun must have brought more dangerous enemies to us." "I would give a good deal to know what has become of them. It begins to look as if they did not consider us worth bothering with." "I wish I could believe that, but I cannot. I think it more likely that they know where we are, and are trifling with us, as a cat does with a mouse." "That makes me anxious to push on. We must find some place where we can cross the stream. Let's go further up the bank." He took the course named, leading away from the great bear with which they had so narrowly escaped an encounter. To their surprise, they had not far to go before the spot they were seeking was found. The stream narrowed between some rocks, so much that even Alice could spring across without wetting her feet. "I am afraid Linna can't leap it," remarked Ben with a smile. "Me show you." And, without recoiling a step, the nimble little one made a graceful bound, which landed her several feet beyond the other margin. "Well done!" said Ben; "I couldn't do much better myself. Now, Alice, you are not going to let her beat you?" Alice was timid at first, but with a good start she cleared the space. She landed, however, so near the water that had not the watchful Linna caught one of the hands thrown up to save herself, she would have fallen back in the stream. Mother and son imitated them, and all stood on the other side of the obstruction without having suffered any inconvenience. While they were congratulating themselves, a startling reminder of their danger came in the near report of a rifle. It was from the direction in which they had seen the bear, and in the stillness of the woods all heard a snarling growl, which proved that the beast had received his death wound. "The Indians are there!" whispered the frightened Ben; "what shall we do, mother?" "What can we do?" she asked, helpless and at her wits' end for the moment; "there seems to be no escaping them."