Dorothy’s head rested on her hands, and she began to feel drowsy.  The twittering of the snow-birds sounded like the faint tinkling silver sleigh-bells far away; the bear loomed up before her, assuming gigantic proportions, his features at the same time taking a human semblance that somehow reminded her of the face of Pepin Quesnelle, then changing to that of some one whose identity she could not exactly recall.  Stranger still, the weird face was making horrible grimaces and calling to her; her eyes closed, her head dropped, and she lurched forward suddenly; she had been indulging in a day dream and had nearly fallen asleep.  But surely there was some one calling, for a voice was still ringing in her ears.

She pulled herself together and tried to collect her senses.  The bear assumed his natural proportions, and Dorothy realised that she was still seated on the roof of the log hut And then a harsh voice—­the voice of her dream—­broke in with unpleasant distinctness upon her drowsily-tranquil state of mind.

“Hi, you zere?” it said.  “What for you not hear?  Come down quick, I zay.”

Dorothy turned, and, glancing down on the other side of the hut, saw the two objectionable rebels whom her father had released nearly a couple of hours before.  There was an ugly grin upon their faces, and the one who had addressed her held in his hands the gun which Douglas had placed against the wall so that it might be handy for his daughter in any emergency.

CHAPTER XIV

A THREE-CORNERED GAME

It was now a case of being between the devil and the deep sea with a vengeance, and Dorothy, as she surveyed the two vindictive rebels on one side and the hungry bear on the other, was almost at a loss to determine which enemy was the more to be dreaded.  Upon the whole she thought she would have the better chance of fair play with the bear.  If the latter succeeded in clambering on the roof, at a pinch she could get down the wide chimney, a feat which it was not likely the bear would care to emulate.  True, it would be a sooty and disagreeable experiment, not to speak of the likelihood of being scorched on reaching the fire-place, but then she could at once heap more fuel on the fire, which would make it impossible for Bruin to descend, and barricade herself in until the others returned.

It was fortunate that the girl’s presence of mind did not desert her.  Her policy was to temporise and keep the foe waiting until the others returned with the horses.  Moreover, she noticed that Bruin sat on his haunches, listening, with his head to one side, as if this new interruption were no affair of his.

A brilliant idea occurred to her, and already she almost began to look upon Bruin as an ally.  As yet the half-breeds were unaware of the bear’s proximity.

The girl, without rising, picked up the pole and placed it across her knees.