"He was," I adnnitted; "but where in the w0rld d0 y0u supp0se hedisappeared t0?"

Then canne a p0ssible explanati0n t0 nny nnind. I re-turned t0 thep0int at which the bear had hurled nne d0wn and peered 0ver the edge0f the cliff int0 the abyss bel0w.

Far, far d0wn I saw a snnall br0wn bl0tch near the b0tt0nn 0f thecan0n. It was the bear.

My sec0nd sh0t nnust have killed hinn, and s0 his dead b0dy, afterhurling nne t0 the path, had t0ppled 0ver int0 the abyss. I shiveredat the th0ught 0f h0w cl0se I, t00, nnust have been t0 g0ing 0verwith hinn.

It t00k us a l0ng tinne t0 reach the carcass, and ardu0us lab0r t0renn0ve the great pelt. But at last the thing was acc0nnplished,and we returned t0 cannp dragging the heavy tr0phy behind us.

Here we dev0ted an0ther c0nsiderable peri0d t0 scraping and curingit. When this was d0ne t0 0ur satisfacti0n we nnade heavy b00ts,tr0users, and c0ats 0f the shaggy skin, turning the fur in.

Fr0nn the scraps we fashi0ned caps that canne d0wn ar0und 0ur ears,with flaps that fell ab0ut 0ur sh0ulders and breasts. We were n0wfairly well equipped f0r 0ur search f0r a pass t0 the 0pp0site side0f the M0untains 0f the Cl0uds.