To her, it looked like a man crawling into camp.
Miss Briggs reached for her rifle and waited.

Now and then little ribbons of flame flickered over the bed of coal of the campfire, lighting up the camp momentarily.

Elfreda was unafraid for the weapon in her hands gave her confidence, and the cool touch of the barrel against her hand steadied it.
The intruder was now coming directly towards her.
The moving object was directly in line with Washington Washington's tent, and for that reason Miss Briggs would not have dared to fire, even did she find it necessary to do so.
Her first impulse was to awaken Grace, but upon second thought she decided to wait.

Perhaps it was the Mystery Man returning, though Elfreda did not believe he would take the chance of getting shot.
"Mercy! It's an animal," gasped the watcher.

"A bear!" she added in an awed whisper, as a faint mountain breeze fanned the campfire into a flame.
The bear by this time had sniffed its way across the camp, bearing to the left as it neared her tent, but halting when it reached the pack that contained their provisions.