"Must be bears." "Uh-huh!" old Tommy assented.

"Tham's b'ars.

Sounds like as if one b'ar had come along to another b'ar's den and was tryin' to git in and drive tother one out.

B'ars is dennin' to-night, and tham as has put off lookin' up a den till now is runnin' round in a hurry to get in somewhars out of the snow.
"A b'ar's allus ugly when he's out late, lookin' for a den," the old trapper went on.

"A b'ar hates snow on his toes.