all the greater by this loss of consciousness, for her muscles would
relax in slumber, and, unless her position was unusually secure, she was
certain to fall.

But that gracious Father in whom she so implicitly trusted watched over
the little one, and she remained as though seated in the broad
rocking-chair at home.

When at last she moved slightly and was on the point of losing her
balance, she awoke so quickly that she saved herself just in the nick of
time.

She was shocked and startled, but regaining her breath she held fast
with one hand while she parted the branches with the other and carefully
peered down among the limbs.

"He is gone!" was her joyous exclamation; "I knew the Lord would make
him go away, because I asked him to."

She was right: the bear had vanished, and all danger from that source
for the time had passed.

The brute probably found enough to eat without waiting for little girls
to fall into his clutches. As he had never been known to trouble any one
in the neighborhood, it was reasonable to believe that he got all he
wanted without venturing away from the depths of the woods, and rousing
an ill-will against himself that would speedily result in his
destruction.

Nellie did not feel surprised at all, for, as I have shown, she had the