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A sudden prolonged crash ahead alar of aspens Then a huge brown beast leaped as a cat out of the woods It was a bear of enorue clove to the roof of herHe looked shaggy, gray He let out a terrible bawl Helen's every h and sidewise, wheeling al his terror Like a stone she dropped from the saddle She did not see the horse break into the woods, but she heard hi, and it seeainst a bush It upheld her The bear wagged his huge head from side to side Then, as the hound barked close at hand, he turned to run heavily uphill and out of the opening

The instant of his disappearance was one of collapse for Helen Frozen with horror, she had been unable tomass of cold, helpless flesh, ith perspiration, sick with a shuddering, retching, internal convulsion, hershock The moment was as horrible as that in which the bear had bawled his frightful rage A stark, icy, black emotion seemed in possession of her She could not lift a hand, yet all of her body appeared shaking There was a fluttering, a strangling in her throat The crushing weight that surrounded her heart eased before she recovered use of her liht way to consciousness What blessed relief! Helen wildly gazed about her The bear and hound were out of sight, and so was her horse She stood up very dizzy and weak Thought of Bo then seehout all her cold extre of hoofs down the slope, then Dale's clear, strong call She answered It appeared long before he burst out of the woods, riding hard and leading her horse In that time she recovered fully, and when he reached her, to put a sudden halt upon the fiery Ranger, she caught the bridle he threw and swiftly mounted her horse The feel of the saddle seeely

"You're white Are you hurt?" he said

"No I was scared"

"But he threw you?"