The problem was settled for him, however, in a very unexpected manner.  The little dog, which had been playing with a stick at some distance from the two boys, noticed Charley running and came tearing after him.  Then he saw the bear and went after her at full speed.  The instant the bear heard the dog, she turned to face him; then as quickly faced about again and started to climb the very tree in which Lew had taken refuge.

“Get that dog away from here,” yelled Lew in consternation, as he began to climb frantically toward the top of the tree.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Charley burst into a roar of laughter.  But a second appeal from his chum stifled his laughter.  He grabbed the dog and started to carry it away.  But he had not gone two rods before Lew called frantically for him to bring the dog back.  Charley turned around and saw the bear climbing after Lew.  As long as the dog was under the tree, the bear had paid no attention to Lew.  But when Charley started away with the pup, the angry bear continued her pursuit.  Charley returned the dog to the base of the tree.

“Sick ’em,” he cried.  “Catch ’em.”

The little pup made a terrific clamor and the bear paid no further attention to Lew, who immediately began to look for a way out of his predicament.  Within two or three feet of the base of the tree which he had climbed, a second tree had sprung up.  But the two had grown away from each other, much like the sloping sides of the letter V. At first Lew thought he could cross over to the other tree, but a careful inspection showed him that this would be impossible.  Down where the bear was he could have swung himself from one tree to the other; but the farther up the tree he was the farther he was from the other tree and the smaller the limbs were.  And Lew was now as near the top of the tree as he dared to go.  To try to leap from his present position to the other tree was not to be thought of.  It would certainly mean a fall of thirty feet or more.  And Lew did not dare come down nearer the bear, lest the animal should again try to claw him.  There was no apparent way to get the bear out of the tree, and Lew knew that he could not stay up where he was indefinitely.

Charley tried to divert the bear’s attention to himself by reaching up the tree with his axe and striking the trunk.  The bear growled but made no attempt to reach Charley.  Her attention was centred wholly on the dog.  With her hair erect, her lips drawn back, her ears laid flat, and her massive claws ready to tear and rend, the beast presented such a fearful front that Charley did not dare take the dog away.  One swipe of those paws, or one crunch of the great jaws might cripple Lew for life, or even kill him outright.

“Keep perfectly quiet, Lew,” said Charley, “and maybe the bear will forget about you.  She’s terribly enraged at this pup.”

Charley felt in his pocket and found a piece of strong cord.  He knotted it around the pup’s neck and tied the animal to the tree.