AN EXCITING PURSUIT.
Mr Onthank's reflections when the grizzly was slowly but steadily
climbing the tree were by no means pleasant.
"If he once grips me, I am gone," he said, despairingly.
"Shall I shoot?" asked Tom, looking on in excitement.
"You might hit me," said Ebenezer, who knew nothing of Tom's skill as a
marksman.
"No, I won't."
"I think I'll swing off," said the Yankee, "and join you."
Whether this was or was not a wise thing to do Tom did not feel
qualified to decide. It was evident that Onthank must do something
speedily, or he would be in the power of the bear. He waited nervously
till Bruin was uncomfortably near, and then, seizing the branch with
his hands, swung to the ground. The height was considerable, and the
fall jarred him; but, quickly recovering himself, he ran towards Tom.
"Now we must run for our lives, Tom," he said, suiting the action to the
word.
Tom fully understood the necessity, and followed suit, first hazarding a
glance at the discomfited bear.
When the grizzly witnessed the escape of his victim he showed no
excitement, nor did he accelerate his motions. He began deliberately to
back down the tree. This required some little time, which Tom and his
friend made the most of.
"Give me your rifle," said Onthank.
"I'd rather keep it," said Tom.
"I can make better use of it," said the Yankee.
"I don't know about that," said Tom. "At any rate I will keep it."
He felt that it was hardly reasonable to expect him, in the presence of
such a danger, to give up his only instrument of defence.
"You are only a boy," said his companion, discontented.
"I can shoot," answered Tom, briefly.
Onthank was not in general an unreasonable man, but danger makes men
selfish.
"Give it to me," he said, in a tone of authority, and he tried to wrest
it from Tom's hands.
"You shall not have it," exclaimed Tom, indignantly. "Take away your
hand, or I'll shoot you!"
Of course Tom was excited, and would not have carried out his threat,
but he was fully resolved to stand up for his rights.
Whether Ebenezer would have yielded the point, being stronger than Tom,
is uncertain; but our hero shouted "Look out for the bear!" and the
Yankee, in alarm, released his hold, and the two entered upon a race, in
which the Yankee's superior length of limb enabled him to keep the first
place.
Bruin was now on terra firma, and was on his way, wagging his great
head, developing an alarming rate of speed. Tom was somewhat hampered
by the weapon which he carried, and he was getting out of breath.
Onthank was three or four rods ahead of him. The situation had changed,
and it was now Tom that was in the greater peril.
"Don't give out, Tom!" called out Ebenezer, encouragingly.
"I won't," gasped Tom, "if I can help it."
"Is he gaining on us?"
"Yes," returned our hero.
"Then I'll try another tree," said Onthank, and he caught a branch, and
clambered up into a tree quite similar to the other in which he had been
besieged.
Tom would gladly have followed his example, but the branch was too high
for him to reach readily, and the grizzly was too near to give him
adequate time. Poor boy! He began to despair, and was at an utter loss
what to do. To face round and fire at the foe seemed about all that was
left him, but he wanted to reserve his fire to the last. He caught sight
of another tree, of a larger trunk than the one which Onthank had
ascended, and ran towards it, pursued by the grizzly. Then commenced a
dodging game, which seemed to afford but a brief respite from
destruction.
"This can't last long," thought poor Tom. "I suppose I must die."
In that brief time of peril many thoughts passed through his mind. To
die at his age would be sad enough; but the thought that his expedition
would be a failure, only involving his father deeper in difficulty and
debt chiefly troubled him. The mortgage would be foreclosed, and his
father and whole family deprived of their humble home. Onthank watched
the boy's peril, unable to give him assistance. To do him justice he
almost forgot his own danger in the more apparent and immediate peril of
his young companion.
"Be careful!" he shouted, quite needlessly. "Don't let him grip you.
Give it to him right in the eye."
Tom was so absorbed, and his mind so painfully occupied by his efforts
to keep out of his enemy's clutches, that he was not conscious of the
warning.
Active and alert as he was, the result was hardly a matter of doubt. He
would tire sooner than the bear, and if he ran again he was sure to be
overtaken. This, however, was what he did. Of course the grizzly
instantly pursued him. Poor Tom breathed a prayer for help, though there
seemed no chance of his prayer being answered; but sometimes God sends
assistance when there seems no chance of escape.
The galloping of a horse was heard. There was a whirling sound, and
Bruin, already within two yards of Tom, was jerked back, and brought to
a stand-still by a lasso which wound about his neck. A shout caused Tom
suddenly to turn his head, and to his joy he saw a mounted Mexican
_vaquero_, who had brought him timely relief.
Bruin growled angrily on finding himself balked of his prey. He was not
disposed to yield to his new antagonist. Rising and sitting on his
haunches he began coolly to draw in the lasso, against the combined
strength of man and horse. The muscular force of a big grizzly is
simply enormous. Usually he is attacked from two sides, two lassos being
thrown around him. For a single antagonist he is sometimes more than a
match, as seemed likely in the present case. The _rieta_ being attached
to the pommel of the saddle, of course the bear, in pulling as he did,
hand over hand, steadily brought the _vaquero_ and his steed nearer. The
horse, terrified, trembled in every limb, and tried to rear; but his
strength was as nothing when opposed to the steady power of his massive
antagonist.
Relieved from the immediate attentions of the grizzly, Tom did not
continue to run, but stood still, and, forgetting his own peril,
remained an excited spectator of the struggle between the bear and the
_vaquero_.
The Mexican in an excited manner shouted to him to shoot. This brought
Tom to a sense of his duty. A third person had been brought into danger
by an effort to give him assistance, and he was too manly to leave him
to his fate. He raised his rifle, and, taking quick aim, fired. Our
young hero was of course inexperienced, and it was only by a piece of
good fortune that his bullet inflicted a serious wound, striking the
bear in the throat. The blood began to flow and the grizzly, growling
fiercely, slackened his hold on the lasso. The _vaquero_ followed up
Tom's shot by another, equally effective, and the powerful animal
dropped to the ground, dangerous still if approached, but unfitted for
pursuit.
The _vaquero_ reined his horse back, and his dark face became illumined
with a smile of satisfaction.
"He will do no more harm," he said in good English, but with a foreign
accent. "The danger is over."
"Is the critter used up?" shouted Onthank, cautiously, from his elevated
perch. "Is he defunct?"
"He soon will be," answered Tom. "I guess it will be safe to come down."
Ebenezer Onthank needed no second invitation. He "shinned" down the tree
in a manner not unlike the grizzly, and approached the spot where the
huge foe was lying, the life-blood flowing from his throat.
"I'd like to kick you, you big brute!" said Mr. Onthank.
The bear slowly turned upon him his glazing eyes, and they expressed so
much ferocity that almost involuntarily the Yankee drew back. The bear
partly raised himself, and tried to drag himself towards his
adversaries; but the effort was vain.
"He is one of the largest I have seen," said the _vaquero_. "See how
strong he is!"
"It was lucky for me that you came up," said Tom. "He was almost upon
me."
"I had about given you up, Tom," said Onthank, "and I thought my turn
was coming next."
"We are much indebted to you, sir," said Tom, gratefully, to the
Mexican. "You have saved my life."
The _vaquero_ courteously expressed his satisfaction, and, remounting
his horse, resumed his journey.
"I never want to see another grizzly," said Onthank. "This one is enough
for me, darn his ugly pictur'!"
"I quite agree with you, Mr. Onthank," said Tom.