[Solar-forossi] for h

[Mccreary]

Hem. George thought not, but in a few seconds after crossing the stream
and beginning the ascent upon the other side, both distinctly heard him
come--splash, splash, splash--through the water directly upon their
trail. It was as dark as Erebus, and they were without weapons larger
than pocket knives--a serious position with an angry Grizzly dogging
their steps. Their first thought was to climb a tree, but knowing they
were not far from the cabin of a man named Work, they took to their
heels and did their best running to reach that haven of refuge ahead of
their formidable follower. They reached the cabin, rushed in, slammed
and fastened the door behind them, and with breathless intervals gasped
out their tale. Work kept a bar for the sale of whiskey, and he and his
son, a stout young man, with two or three miners, were sitting on rude
seats around a whiskey barrel playing cards when the two frightened men
rushed in. The cabin was built by planting posts firmly in the ground at
a distance of some three feet apart, and in the form of a parallelogram,
then nailing shakes upon these posts and on the roof. The sides were
held together by cross beams, connecting the tops of the opposite posts.
There was one rude window, made by cutting a hole in the side of the
wall about four feet from the ground and covering this with greased
paper, glass being an unattainable luxury. Notwithstanding the belief
that there was not a man in those days but wore a red shirt and a big
revolver, there was not a firearm in the place. In a few seconds the
bear was heard angrily sniffing at the door, and an instant later his
powerful paw came tearing through the frail shakes and he poked his head
and neck through the opening and gravely surveyed the terrified party.
Every man sprang upon the bar and thence to the cross beam with the
alacrity given only by terror. After sniffing a moment and calmly gazing
around the room and up at the frightened men, the bear quietly withdrew
his head and retired. After an interval of quiet, the men ventured down
and were eagerly discussing the event, when the bear again made its
presence known by rearing up and thrusting its head through the paper of
the window. Upon this occasion some of the men stood their ground, and
young Work, seizing an iron-pointed Jacob's staff, ran full tilt at the
bear, and thrust it deeply into its chest. The
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