Opening her eyes, and recovering from the
first confusion and astonishment of her situation, Hetty perceived
a cub, of the common American brown bear, balancing itself on its
hinder legs, and still looking towards her, as if doubtful whether
it would be safe to trust itself near her person again. The first
impulse of Hetty, who had been mistress of several of these cubs,
was to run and seize the little creature as a prize, but a loud
growl warned her of the danger of such a procedure. Recoiling a
few steps, the girl looked hurriedly round, and perceived the dam,
watching her movements with fiery eyes at no great distance. A
hollow tree, that once been the home of bees, having recently
fallen, the mother with two more cubs was feasting on the dainty
food that this accident had placed within her reach; while the
first kept a jealous eye on the situation of its truant and reckless
young.
It would exceed all the means of human knowledge to presume to
analyze the influences that govern the acts of the lower animals.
On this occasion, the dam, though proverbially fierce when its young
is thought to be in danger, manifested no intention to attack the
girl. It quitted the honey, and advanced to a place within twenty
feet of her, where it raised itself on its hind legs and balanced
its body in a sort of angry, growling discontent, but approached
no nearer.
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