Hugh laughed heartily, and then as Ralph jumped off the low roof of
the shack to join them, he complimented the one-time trapper on his
knowledge of Bruin's weak spots.
"Oh! that's an old story," Ralph declared. "You never want to
forget that all savage animals, except, perhaps the two-horned
rhinoceros, which of course we don't have in this country, are
afraid of fire. With a blazing torch you can pass safely through
a woods where half a dozen hungry panthers are jumping about through
the trees following you, but nine times out of ten not daring to
make a leap as long as you swing that fire stick around your head."
"Is that so?" Bud remarked; and then quickly added: "But how about
the tenth time, Ralph?"
"Oh! well," said the other, with a chuckle, "I guess they might take
chances of the fire, and get you the tenth time, Bud. But it's the
best thing you can ever do if you're besieged by wolves, or any
wild animals."
"Well," Hugh interrupted, "now that our unwelcome visitor has
taken his departure, and the cabin can be entered, let's get what
truck we have left there together, and be heading for the road."
They found that the bear had made inroads with regard to some of
their provisions, but as they happened to be homeward bound it did
not matter much.
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