Every lad slept soundly on this, the second night in camp. In fact, most of them knew not a single thing five minutes after they lay down until the 140 odor of coffee brought them to their senses to find that it was broad daylight, and that breakfast was well under way.
Paul and Jud left the camp immediately after breakfast intending to go to the place where the honey comb had been left as bait. Tolly Tip, before they went, explained further.
“Most times, ye say, bears go into their winter quarters with the first hard cold spell, and hibernate till spring comes. This s’ason it has been so queer I don’t know but what the bear is still at large, because I saw his tracks just the day before ye arrived in camp.”
When the pair came back the others met them with eager questions.
“How about it, Paul?”
“Any chance of getting that flashlight?”
“Did you find the honey gone?”
“See any tracks around?”
Paul held up his hand.
“I’ll tell you everything in a jiffy, fellows, if you give me half a chance,” he said. “Yes, we found that the honeycomb had been carried off; and there in the snow were some pretty big tracks left by Bruin, the bear!”