To his amazement he found that the bear was not scrambling up the tree after him, but was still some paces off, with Fido skirmishing at long range.

It was Fido's timely nip that had brought him to a sudden halt, and allowed Hughie to make his climb in safety.
"Good dog, Fido.

Sic him! Sic him, old fellow!" cried out Hughie, but Fido was new to this kind of warfare, and at every jump of the raging brute he fled into the brush with his tail between his legs, returning, however, to the attack as the bear retired.
After driving Fido off, the bear rushed at the tree, and in a fury began tearing up its roots.

Then, as if realizing the futility of this, he flung himself upon its trunk and began shaking it with great violence from side to side.
Hughie soon saw that the tree would not long stand such an attack.

He slipped down to the lowest bough so that his weight might be taken from the swaying top, and encouraging Fido, awaited results.
He found himself singularly cool.