Had she seen the mother of the cunning little black creature in her apron pursuing her, she would have dropped the cub, which would have insured her escape from danger.

But the mother bear did not make an early discovery of the loss in her family.

She was probably out berrying, and such experiences of stolen children were wholly unknown to the bear family in Washington before this time.

The Indians would not have troubled the little cub.
The black bear of the Cascades is quite harmless, and its cubs, like kittens, seem to have a sense of humor unusual among animals.

For a white child to see a cub is to desire it to tame for a pet, and Mrs.Woods felt the same childish instincts when she caught up the little creature, which seemed to have no fear of anything, and ran away with it toward her home.
It was Saturday evening when she returned, and she found both Mr.Woods and Gretchen waiting to meet her at the door.