HEMMED IN.
"We must get to the boat," said Tom.
"Yes, but how?" questioned Jack.
"If only we'd gone to the boat at first instead of bolting in here,
we'd have been safe the noo," spoke Sandy.
"That's obvious," agreed Tom, "but having foolishly allowed ourselves
to be bottled up, it's up to us now to devise some means of getting
out."
"Well, we're all open for suggestions," struck in Jack. "Bother that
smoke, it was that which brought the bears to the hut to investigate."
"No question about that," agreed Tom, "but I've just got an idea,
fellows."
"Good, let's have it," chorused his young companions.
"Well, it is granted that we can't stay in here forever."
"Nor even for many more hours," supplemented Jack.
"Very well. Then it is up to us to take a chance on escaping, no
matter how desperate the scheme may appear."
"It's a case of life or death, it seems to me," said Sandy soberly.
"What's your plan?" asked Jack impatiently.
"Just this. We must burn those bears out."
"Burn them out!"
Sandy and Jack stared at the lad, who, by common consent, was their
leader.
"That is what I said. Don't look at me as if I was crazy. This hut is
surrounded almost up to its walls by semi-dry grass which ought to
burn easily, isn't it?"
"Yes; but I don't see your drift," spoke Jack.
"We'll set the grass on fire. That will drive the bears off, and
while they are on the run we can make our escape to the boat."
"But the grass will burn all round the hut. How can we get out through
the flames ourselves?" objected Jack.
"Hold on a minute. Wait till I explain. We can set the grass alight by
throwing out some of the hot brands from our fire."
"Of course, that's easy," assented Jack, and then with the air of
somebody pronouncing an unanswerable question he went on: "But how are
you going to get your burning embers outside? If you open the door,
the bears will rush us at once."
For answer Tom indicated the hole in the top of the roof.
"I must get up there and roll the blazing embers down the roof into
the grass. Then when it is on fire, we'll have to scramble out
somehow, slip down to the boat before the fire surrounds the hut, and
then row out to sea."
"Sounds delightfully easy," said Jack rather sneeringly, for the plan
did not appeal to him, "but in the first place, how are you going to
get on the roof?"
"The simplest part of it. This hut isn't more than seven feet, or so,
high. You 'give me a back' and then I can reach the hole easily and
boost myself through."
"Well, I admit that is possible, but after the fire is started, and
supposing everything goes all right, how are Sandy and I going to get
up?"
"Sandy is the lightest. He will have to give you 'a back' and I'll
haul you through somehow. Then Sandy must stand up, and together I
guess we can hoist him through without much difficulty."
Jack shrugged his shoulders. Sandy looked dubious.
"I know it's a desperate chance," admitted Tom, "but ours is a
desperate situation. Now then, let's lose no time in putting it into
effect. If it fails, we can't be much worse off."
"No, that is true enough, unless the hut burns down."
"Oh, the damp, thick sod that covers it wouldn't ignite as easily as
all that," declared Tom, who was waxing enthusiastic over his plan.
Jack got down on all fours and Tom mounted on his back. He was able in
this way, being a tall boy, to grasp the edges of the hole. This done
he hoisted himself up with his muscular young arms, much as a lad
"chins the bar." Once up on the roof, he reached down into the hole
for the firebrand, which it had been arranged that Jack was to hand
up.
He had hardly grasped it when an angry growl from close at hand
apprised him that the bears had perceived him. There was no time to be
lost. Raising a wild, blood-curdling yell that awoke the echoes of the
cliffs, Tom flung his firebrand down into the thick grass.
Almost instantly it ignited and a thick smoke curled up. The bears
sniffed uneasily. Any boy who has seen marsh land burned off in the
spring knows how swiftly flames spread among dried grass and weeds.
The herbage amidst which Tom had flung the blazing bit of wood proved
no exception. Fanned by a brisk breeze it ran literally like wildfire
among the dried grasses. Luckily the wind was from the side of the hut
in which Tom was perched and blew toward the bears. As the flames
swept down on them, they uttered loud snorts of terror and turned tail
ingloriously.
The mother bear, with her frightened cub, was the first to depart, and
she stood not on the order of her going, but galloped off at top
speed. The huge male bear lingered but a few minutes longer, then he,
too, fled before the fiery terror which Tom's clever strategem had
kindled.
"Hooray, boys, they're on the run!" shouted Tom, unable to restrain
his enthusiasm.
He swung down his arms and dragged up Jack without much difficulty.
Then came Sandy's turn. They had just hauled the Scotch lad to the
roof, however, when an alarming thing occurred. The covering of the
Aleut hut had not been built to withstand any such strain as the
weight of the three lads now perched upon it.
Without warning, save for a sharp crack, it suddenly sagged.
"Look out! It's caving in!" roared Tom.
"Cracky, so it is!" echoed Jack as he felt the sod roof begin to sink
under them.
"Roll!" shouted Tom. "Roll down it!"
He seized Sandy, who appeared to be paralyzed from alarm, and gave him
a shove. Down the roof rolled the Scotch lad, landing in a heap on the
ground, shaken and bruised, but not otherwise injured. Close behind
him came Tom and Jack. Behind them the roof fell in with a roar,
leaving a big gaping cavity.
But the boys had no time to notice this just then. Scrambling to
their feet they dashed off toward the beach where the dory lay. The
flames almost reached them as they left the hut. But looking back Tom
saw something worse than the flames pursuing them. They could easily
distance the blazing grass and that gave him no alarm. But what did
cause his heart to stand still for an instant and then resume beating
furiously was the sight of the bears.
They had rallied from their fright and perceived the escape of the
boys. Now, skirting the flames by outflanking them, they were
lumbering toward the fugitives at a speed that would not have been
thought possible in such bulky creatures.