But during the same period, the wits of Nick Ribsam were not idle. He
had thought of sending Nellie home to bring her father to his
assistance, but he was restrained by the fear that the bear would detect
her, and, even if she should get away, he doubted whether she would be
able to find her way through the woods to the open country beyond.
Here and there the trees were burning, and the dry limbs lay on the
ground, giving out the red glow of smoldering embers, or sending out
little twists of smoke to join the enormous mass of vapor which hung
like a pall over so many square miles of country.
Nellie, for the twentieth time, leaned her head forward and looked out
from behind the tree trunk that sheltered her. She saw the bear sitting
on his haunches some twenty feet away, looking steadily upward, as
though he were a charred stump, which could never change its posture or
position. Nick rested uneasily on the narrow limb, when he made a
movement which the quick-witted girl knew at once meant that he had
resolved on trying to do something for himself.
Carefully freeing his legs from the branch, he lowered himself so that
he hung by his hands, within ten feet of the ground. Hanging only a
second or two, he let go and dropped lightly upon his feet.
The whole thing took less than a minute, but the bear had observed it
almost as quickly as did Nellie, and the minute the lad struck the
ground the beast was lumbering toward him.
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