On other occasions he was rash and often imprudent, but in moments of extreme danger he became cool and collected, even more so than his philosophic brother, Lucien.
A thought, which hitherto had strangely been overlooked both by himself and his brothers, now in the hour of peril came into his mind.

He remembered that the grizzly bear is _not a tree-climber_! With the thought he shouted out,-- "To the trees! to the trees!" at the same time embracing one of the pines, and sprawling upwards as fast as he could climb.
Both Lucien and Francois imitated his example, each taking to the tree that grew nearest him--for the bear was not twenty paces behind them, and there was no time to pick and choose.

Before the latter could come up, however, all three were perched in the pines, as high among the branches as they could safely get.
The bear galloped forward, and seeing where they had gone, ran from tree to tree, growling with rage and disappointment.

He rose upon his hind-legs, and endeavoured to reach the lowermost branches with his fore-paws--as if he intended to draw himself up, or drag the tree down.
One by one he assailed the pines, shaking them with violence, and with his claws making the bark fly off in large pieces.

One in particular-- that upon which Francois had taken refuge--being a small tree, vibrated so rapidly under the powerful efforts of the brute, that its occupant was in danger of being dashed to the ground.