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“Bears are hungry and cross at this ti in their dens all winter long with nothing to eat, and that ry when they wake up I did not want to meet one

“I hurried along as quick as I could in the dark By and by the stars gave a little light It was still black as pitch where the woods were thick, but in the open places I could see, dimly I could see the snowy road ahead a little way, and I could see the dark woods standing all around lad when I caht

“All the ti, as well as I could, for bears I was listening for the sounds they h the bushes

“Then I caht in theblack bear

“He was standing up on his hind legs, looking at -snout I could even see one of his claws, in the starlight

“My scalp prickled, and ht up I stopped in my tracks, and stood still The bear did notat me

“I kneould do no good to try to go around him He would follow me into the dark woods, where he could see better than I could I did not want to fight a winter-starved bear in the dark Oh, hoished for un!

“I had to pass that bear, to get hoet out of the road and let o by So I took a deep breath, and suddenly I shouted with allmy arms

“He didn’t move

“I did not run very far toward him, I tell you! I stopped and looked at hiain There he stood I kept on shouting and waving e

“Well, it would do ood to run away There were other bears in the woods I ht as well deal with this one as with another Besides, I was coet here, if I ran away fro in the woods that scared me

“So at last I looked around, and I got a good big club, a solid, heavy branch that had been broken froht of snow in the winter

“I lifted it up in! on his head

“And there he still stood, for he was nothing but a big, black, burned stump!

“I had passed it onIt wasn’t a bear at all I only thought it was a bear, because I had been thinking all the ti afraid I’d meet one”