While the family was still eating, a big black bear came along. He smelled the meat, and put his great rough head in at the door and sniffed.
[Illustration: A big black bear came along]
"Bear!" shouted Strongarm, jumping to his feet.
Burr and the boys cried out and quickly ran away to hide. Strongarm snatched a blazing log and struck the bear. He was burned and hurt, and he grew angry. He stood up on his hind legs and growled and showed his sharp teeth.
Strongarm snatched his ax and made for the bear, but he had gone. His growls sounded farther and farther away. Still Strongarm stood with his ax ready, his heart thumping and his eyes big. When he saw that the bear was not coming back, he dropped his ax with a gruff laugh. Then Burr and the boys came creeping out of their holes. And they all laughed and talked at once, telling how scared they had been.
The growls of the bear still sounded through the woods, so the boys ran to the door to see him.
"There he goes!" cried Pineknot with wide eyes, pointing.
"How big he is!" cried Thorn; "I shall make his picture."