Yes! on those terms he might drive the wood home, that was a bargain; but Bruin said, “if he didn’t come back, he should lose all his sheep by summer.”
So the man got the wood on the sledge and rattled homewards, but he wasn’t over pleased at the bargain you may fancy. So just then a fox met him.
“Why, what’s the matter?” said the Fox; “why are you so down in the mouth?”
“Oh, if you want to know,” said the man; “I met a bear up yonder in the wood, and I had to give my word to him to bring Dobbin back to-morrow, at this very hour; for if he didn’t get him, he said he would tear all my sheep to death by summer.”
“Stuff, nothing worse than that,” said the Fox; “if you’ll give me your fattest wether, I’ll soon set you free; see if I don’t.”
Yes! the man gave his word, and swore he would keep it too.
“Well, when you come with Dobbin to-morrow for the bear,” said the Fox, “I’ll make a clatter up in that heap of stones yonder, and so when the bear asks what that noise is, you must say ’tis Peter the Marksman, who is the best shot in the world; and after that you must help yourself.”
Next day off set the man, and when he met the Bear, something began to make a clatter up in the heap of stones.
“Oh! that’s Peter the Marksman, to be sure,” said the man; “he’s the best shot in the world. I know him by his voice.”
“Have you seen any bears about here, Eric?” shouted out a voice in the wood.
“What’s that, then, that stands alongside your sledge?” bawled out the voice in the wood.
“Say it’s an old fir-stump,” said the Bear.
“Oh, it’s only an old fir-stump,” said the man.
“Such fir-stumps we take in our country and roll them on our sledges,” bawled out the voice; “if you can’t do it yourself, I’ll come and help you.”
“Say you can help yourself, and roll me up on the sledge,” said the Bear.
“No, thank ye, I can help myself well enough,” said the man, and rolled the Bear on to the sledge.
“Such fir-stumps we always bind fast on our sledges in our part of the world,” bawled out the voice; “shall I come and help you?”
“Say you can help yourself, and bind me fast, do,” said the Bear.
“No, thanks, I can help myself well enough,” said the man, who set to binding Bruin fast with all the ropes he had, so that at last the bear couldn’t stir a paw.