108 TRUE BEAR STORIES.

hard and unyielding nature, and with all
her strength she could neither break nor
bend it. But she kept thrusting up her
long nose and longer claws, laying hold
first of his boots, which she pulled off, one
after the other, with her teeth, then with
her claws she took hold of one garment.
and then another till the man of money
had hardly a shred, and his legs were
streaming with blood. Fearing that he
should faint from loss of blood, he lashed
himself to the small trunk of the tree by
his belt and then began to scream with
all his might for his friends.

When the bear became weary of clawing
up at the dangling legs she went back and
began to turn poor Boone over to see if he
showed any signs of life. Then she came
back and again clawed a while at the
screaming man up the madrona tree. It
was great fun for the bear!

To cut a thrilling story short, the party
in camp on the other side of the creek
finally came in hail, when the old bear