"We shall probably find Dame Bruin's cubs somewhere or other, if we follow up her trail," observed Uncle Denis, as we were employed in cutting up the bear. "Though she would have proved a difficult subject to tame, we may have more hope of succeeding with them." As soon as the operation was performed, and we had hung up the meat to the bough of a tree--a necessary precaution in that region--we set off to look for the cubs. The animal, not having the instinct of the red man, had left a clearly marked trail as she made her way through the forest. Guided by the marks of the grass trampled down, boughs bent aside, and twigs broken off, we had no difficulty in following it up, though it continued for a far greater distance than we had expected. It led us towards a rocky spur of the mountain, mostly covered with trees and thick brushwood, so that we could see but a short distance ahead. "Take care, massa, p'r'aps he b'ar dare lookin' after de pickaninnies, so, if he come out, better be ready to shoot him," observed Dio. "We'll soon make him show himself," answered Uncle Denis, and he called to our dogs, who had obediently followed at our heels, to range ahead. Off they started, delighted with the duty entrusted to them. After ranging backwards and forwards, occasionally showing themselves amid the brushwood, their loud barks and yelps convinced us that they had found either the young bears or some other animal. We made our way towards the spot from whence the sounds proceeded, with our guns ready should we discover any formidable antagonist. As we got up we saw the shaggy tails of our dogs wagging vehemently outside a cavern, within which it did not seem possible that any large animal could be hidden. Now Boxer would rush further in, now Toby, while a whimpering sound, mingled with an occasional infantine growl, showed us that the cave was alone occupied by the cubs of which we were in search. Fearing that the animals would be injured, we called off the dogs, when their bloody mouths and the brown hair sticking to their jaws, proved that they had had a battle with the occupants of the cave. The difficulty was now to get the creatures out without further injuring them. Though I might easily have crawled in, yet it would be at the risk of being bitten by the young bears, who would, should I do so, naturally mistake me for one of the dogs about to renew the fight. "Stay, massa," said Dio at length; "I do it!" Without delay he cut down a young sapling, which he quickly stripped of its branches. He had still tied round his waist a piece of the rope we had brought to secure the bear. With this we formed a noose at the end of the pole. "Now I get him out," he observed creeping into the mouth of the cavern and pushing the pole before him. After moving it about for a few seconds, he shouted--