Then the front door was suddenly burst open, and a man dashed into the hall and up stairs at a frightful speed.

Mrs.Bartholomew was just about to go up after him to ascertain who it was, when a large dark animal of some kind darted in through the door and with an awful growl went bowling up stairs after the man.

It suddenly flashed upon the mind of Mrs.Bartholomew that the man was her husband, and that that was the little baby-bear.

Just then the voice of Bartholomew was heard calling from the top landing: "Ellen, for gracious sake get out of the house as quick as you can, and shut all the doors and window-shutters." [Illustration: THE LITTLE BABY-BEAR] Then Mrs.Bartholomew sent the boys into Partridge's, next door, and she closed the shutters, locked all the doors and went into the yard to await further developments.

When she got outside, she saw Bartholomew on the roof kneeling on the trap-door, which he kept down only by the most tremendous exertions.