It chanced that as I lay on my side my eye caught a gleam of light
through a little ragged hole in the matting of pine branches. Part of
the interior of the cabin, the doorway, and some space outside were
plainly visible. The thud of horses had given place to snorts, and then
came a flopping of saddles and packs on the ground. “Any water hyar?”
asked a gruff voice I recognized as Bill's. “Spring right thar,” replied
a voice I knew to be Bud's.
“You onery old cayuse, stand still!”
From that I gathered Herky was taking the saddle off his horse.
“Here, Leslie, I'll untie you--if you'll promise not to bolt.”
That voice was Buell's. I would have known it among a thousand. And Dick
was still a prisoner.
“Bolt! If you let me loose I'll beat your fat head off!” replied Dick.
“Ha! A lot you care about my sore wrists. You're weakening, Buell, and
you know it. You've got a yellow streak.”
“Shet up!” said Herky, in a low, sharp tone. A silence followed. “Buell,
look hyar in the trail. Tracks! Goin' in an' comin' out.”
“How old are they?”
“I'll bet a hoss they ain't an hour old.”
“Somebody's usin' the cabin, eh?”
The men then fell to whispering, and I could not understand what was
said, but I fancied they were thinking only of me. My mind worked fast.
Buell and his fellows had surely not run across Hiram Bent. Had the old
hunter deserted me? I flouted such a thought. It was next to a certainty
that he had seen the lumbermen, and for reasons best known to himself
had not returned to the cabin. But he was out there somewhere among the
pines, and I did not think any of those ruffians was safe.
Then I heard stealthy footsteps approaching. Soon I saw the Mexican
slipping cautiously to the door. He peeped within. Probably the interior
was dark to him, as it had been to me. He was not a coward, for he
stepped inside.
At that instant there was a clinking sound, a rush and a roar, and a
black mass appeared to hurl itself upon the Mexican. He went down with
a piercing shriek. Then began a fearful commotion. Screams and roars
mingled with the noise of combat. I saw a whirling cloud of dust on
the cabin floor. The cub had jumped on the Mexican. What an unmerciful
beating he was giving that Greaser! I could have yelled out in my glee.
I had to bite my tongue to keep from urging on my docile little pet
bear. Greaser surely thought he had fallen in with his evil spirit, for
he howled to the saints to save him.
Herky-Jerky was the only one of his companions brave enough to start to
help him.
“The cabin's full of b'ars!” he yelled.
At his cry the bear leaped out of the cloud of dust, and shot across
the threshold like black lightning. In his onslaught upon Greaser he had
broken his halter. Herky-Jerky stood directly in his path. I caught only
a glimpse, but it served to show that Herky was badly scared. The cub
dove at Herky, under him, straight between his legs like a greased pig,
and, spilling him all over the trail, sped on out of sight. Herky raised
himself, and then he sat there, red as a lobster, and bawled curses
while he made his huge revolver spurt flame on flame.
I could not see the other men, but their uproarious mirth could have
been heard half a mile away. When it dawned upon Herky, he was so
furious that he spat at them like an angry cat and clicked his empty
revolver.
Then Greaser lurched out of the door. I got a glimpse of him, and, for a
wonder, was actually sorry for him. He looked as if he had been through
a threshing-machine.
“Haw! haw! Ho! ho!” roared the merry lumbermen.
Then they trooped into the cabin. Buell headed the line, and Herky,
sullenly reloading his revolver, came last. At first they groped around
in the dim light, stumbling over everything. Part of the time they were
in the light space near the door, and the rest I could not see them. I
scarcely dared to breathe. I felt a creepy chill, and my eyesight grew
dim.
“Who does this stuff belong to, anyhow?” Buell was saying. “An' what was
thet bear doin' in here?”
“He was roped up--hyar's the hitch,” answered Bud.
“An' hyar's a rifle--Winchester--ain't been used much. Buell, it's thet
kid's!”