“Well, he has got a good thing of it anyway, here, there is so much food around him, and if he had only been smart enough to keep out of sight and never show himself he might have died of old age without being once disturbed by hunters.”

“I ain’t sure he won’t die of old age as it is,” said Nick, with a laugh; “for every one who went after him came back without the first glimpse.  I guess they have all given up hope of shooting him, and I shouldn’t wonder if we had to do the same.”

But whether such was to be the result or not remained to be seen, and the boys were sure of plenty of sport in an all-day ramble through the woods.

During all this time Nick and Nellie were attending school, and they maintained their places in their studies, and were surpassed by none in the excellence of their deportment.

Nick rose early and helped his father with his work, and at night did his chores.  With all this, he found opportunity to practice with the rifle and to prepare his lessons for the morrow, so that it need not be said he had little idle time on his hands.

On a bright Saturday morning in November, when the smoky haze of the delicious Indian summer overspread forest, stream, and country, Sam Harper came to the house of Nick Ribsam according to appointment.

His rifle was slung over his shoulder, and the dog, which they had christened Bowser, was at his heels.  There was no school that day, and Mr. Ribsam, having satisfied himself of the ability of Nick to handle the rifle of his neighbor, had given him permission to go on a hunt for the bear which had so frightened Nellie a couple of months before.

The mother and daughter were a little anxious when the rosy-cheeked boy donned his heavy boots, pushed his trousers down the legs, and taking the long-barreled rifle from where it rested in the corner turned to kiss them good-by.

Mr. Ribsam seemed as cool and stolid as ever; but any one looking closely at him would have observed that he puffed his pipe a little oftener than was his wont, while his eye beamed more kindly upon his brave little boy.

“Look out, Nick, and don’t be too venturesome,” said the mother, as she pressed her lips to those of her only son.

“And remember that the bear is an awful big animal,” said Nellie, “for I seen him.”

The brother, who was in the act of leaning over his sister to kiss her, drew back with a reproving look.

“Why is it a girl can’t talk without saying ‘awful’ in every sentence?  I wish for variety’s sake, Nellie, you and the rest of the girls would leave ‘awful’ out of one sentence in a hundred, and don’t say ’I seen him,’ for you know better than that, sister.”

She hung her head and her eyes were growing misty, when Nick took the kiss with a laugh and moved to the door.

“There, there, good-by; you all act as if I was going to Africa to hunt lions and tigers.”