XII

THE BEAR

John had grown to love the little four-footed brothers dearly, and they
were great friends of his. But still the Hermit seemed to have a charm
about him which John lacked, and which drew even the strange new
creatures to him and made them trust him from the first. John longed
to learn this secret. But when he asked the old man about it he looked
at the boy kindly and said,--

"It will come, my son, with time. Love, live, and learn."

John had been with the Hermit some months, when happened an adventure
that interested him more than anything which had befallen. He was
walking one day with the old man in a part of the forest far distant
from their hut. They were looking for a rare and wonderful herb which
the sage needed to distill a certain precious balm.

"This should be the spot," said the old man, going toward a heap of
rocks around which grew a tangle of shrubs and creepers. "The plant
which I seek is shy, and hides in the shadows of sheltered places.
Yonder is a cave, where first I made my dwelling when I came to the
forest, before I built the hut in which we now live. And at the
entrance, I remember, grew the herb of grace, which more than once has
done me service in healing the hurts of my pets."

The Hermit plunged eagerly forward to the rocks. John followed close
behind. At the entrance to the cave the old man stooped to pluck the