They now stole cautiously back to the ravine, and again looked over its edge.

To their consternation, _not one bear, but three of these horrid animals_ were busy with the meat below! One was smaller than either of the others, and differed from them in colour.
It was quite black; and might have passed for a full-grown bear of the black species.

It was not that, however; but a large cub, of which the other two were the parents.
All three were tearing away at the fresh meat, evidently in high glee, and not caring to consider whence such a windfall had come, so long as they were getting the benefit of it.

They occasionally uttered loud snorts--as if to express their gratification--and at intervals the old male one growled as the cub interfered with his eating.

The female, on the contrary, as she tore the mutton into fragments, kept placing the daintiest morsels before the snout of her black progeny; and with playful strokes of her paw admonished it from time to time to fall to and eat.