“I shouldn’t wonder but what that is just what he expects to do,” chuckled Hugh; “and let’s watch and see how it works.  Ralph knows how much alarmed a bear will always get after smelling smoke.  It seems to be a part of his nature to dread anything that has to do with fire.  And in case he has had to hustle at some time in the past to save his bacon from a raging forest fire, of course it’s all the worse.  But Ralph is getting ready to put a match to the dry stuff he has in the chimney.  After he has it smouldering good I reckon he’ll give the same a kick, and send it down into the fireplace.  Then watch him clap that short piece of board on top of the clay chimney, forcing all the smoke to ooze out into the cabin, filling it full.”

Both boys, and the soldier as well, kept their eyes glued upon the figure of the scout on the roof of the cabin.  Ralph was taking his time.  He usually did his work very systematically, and could be depended on to make a complete job of anything he undertook.

“There, it’s beginning to come out of the door, the smoke, I mean!” exclaimed the anxious Bud.

“I want to get a snap-shot of the event when the bear rushes out,” said Hugh; “because there are a lot of fellows these days who want to see the proof every time you tell them a story that seems out of the common run.  The light is good right now, and I believe I can make a fair picture, with Ralph pressing his board down on the chimney-top, and the smoke oozing out around him.  Now to see how much the prowler can stand for.”

“He peeked out just then, and must have seen us, Hugh, because he pulled in again,” Bud shrilly cried.  “Guess he don’t think much of human beings.  He must have had some experience with the little shooting sticks they seem to just point straight at him, and then with the cough he feels an awful pain.  P’raps he’s a better smoker than you think.  What if he just declined to run the gauntlet as long as we stand here.”

“It’s only a question of time,” Hugh assured him.  “He can only stand for so much, and then he’ll make the rush, no matter what happens.”

“The smoke’s coming out thicker and thicker, let me tell you,” Bud continued, fairly dancing in his nervous excitement.  “If he can stand that much longer I’ll believe he’s a regular old salamander.”

“He won’t,” Hugh assured him.  “He’s pretty nearly all in right now.  Twice we’ve seen him peek out as if he wanted to get the lay of the land, so he could make his rush.  The third time he’s apt to come.  So everybody get your breath ready to let out a whoop that’ll make him think the end of the world has arrived for keeps.”

“Look! there he comes, Hugh!”

Even as Bud said this a bulky object rushed headlong out of the cabin door.  It was the bear, doubtless already half-blinded with the bitter smoke that smarted his eyes and created a panic in his mind.

Immediately the two boys and the soldier set up a series of whoops that made the forest ring.  Ralph, too, joined in, and waved his hat from the roof of the cabin, even as Hugh pressed the button, and snapped off the lively scene, with the frightened bear in full retreat.