EVERYTHING SEEMS TO COME THEIR WAY
"I told you so!" shouted Bluff, as he fell over in his eagerness to get
up.
"Somebody shoot him!" bellowed Jerry, who was directly in the path of
the bear, if the rolling monster concluded to keep on after he had
extinguished the several little fires in his hairy hide.
Frank had a method in his activity in rolling away from the danger zone.
He remembered that he had placed his gun at the foot of the tree that
had the gnarly trunk, and in a case of this sort the quicker a fellow
laid hands on some means of defense the better.
Now Bruin was once more upon his feet, having succeeded in putting out
the few sparks that had threatened to set him on fire, so that if he ran
through the forest he must have resembled an animated torch.
Bang!
That was surely the voice of the repeating gun. Bluff had had it in
his hands at the time the bear, angered by the constant inrush of bitter
smoke, had dashed from his den, among the blazing fagots.
[Illustration: BANG! THAT WAS SURELY THE VOICE OF THE REPEATING GUN.]
It had taken Bluff just about five seconds to get himself together and
raise his gun to a level with the struggling black form among the
scattered brands of the disturbed fire.
"Whoop! Give him some more, _you_!" shouted Jerry, peering over the top
of the log behind which he had now taken refuge.
Bang!
That shot came from another quarter. Frank did not mean to be left out
in the cold entirely, apparently.
Then Bluff took up the refrain again, which was an invitation for Frank
to make use of his second barrel. By that time the bear had ceased
making any attempt at escape, and was lying, inert, on the ground. Four
charges, even of bird shot, when fired only ten feet away, at the most,
can do the execution of as many bullets of large caliber.
"Well done, fellows! I congratulate the brave Nimrods!" vociferated
Jerry, coming out from his place of refuge and waving his cap in the
air.
Snap! Will had made another flash picture.
"Wouldn't have lost that one for a good deal, I tell you," he said.
Jerry, in his demonstrative way, went around shaking hands with every
one, even little Jed, who had been petrified with horror during the
entire proceedings, and could only stare at what was passing.
"Talk about your luck! What d'ye think of that? Meat just drops into our
hands as we sit around our campfire. Tell me about your Israelites in
the desert, and the manna that they picked up--we don't even have to
move to get a full larder."
"Well, bear's meat may please some, but it's pretty tough," commented
Will.
"Come off, you practical man! Where's your sporting blood? Think of the
delight of sitting here and chewing on meat that fell to your gun. What
odds if it is as tough as an old cow? It's _game_! That ought to settle
it. Imagination can make even bear meat seem as tender as spring lamb,"
declared Jerry.
"And there's the skin. That will make a bully old rug for my den!"
exclaimed Bluff, looking boldly at Frank, as though challenging him to
dispute his claim.
"You're welcome to it, seeing that I have several already, but I'm
afraid you'll find it a pretty poor specimen at this season of the
year. The pelts are never good for much until fall sets in. The beast
has hardly stopped shedding last winter's coat of hair," laughed Frank.
"Well, that _was_ a bear's den, after all! We didn't go far wrong, did
we? And as for me, I'm itching to investigate it right away. Frank,
let's get a few torches together and crawl in. Will you?"
Jerry was as eager as ever to examine things. He could not wait until
morning came, now that a bear had actually issued forth from the crevice
in the rocks.
"There may be another in there," suggested Bluff meaningly.
"All right, then. Something is due to fall to my gun, I guess. Don't you
think for a minute that everything is going to come your way. Better
save your wind for blowing up your bed a little later. You'll probably
need it all," remarked Jerry, who had been sore ever since the preceding
night, when his rival had come in just a trifle ahead in the great wind
act.
Frank hesitated. He knew it was hardly wise to creep into that crack in
the rocks so soon after the bear had issued forth; for if there was a
mate inside, doubtless they would have a severe conflict.
At the same time he knew Jerry full well, and was certain that once he
had taken the notion into his head he would carry it out, if he had to
go alone.
So he quickly made up his mind to go.
"All right, if you are bent on it; get the torches ready. I imagine,
though, it is only a little cave, after all, and we will be back in a
jiffy," he said, as he pushed new shells into his gun and fastened his
belt around his waist, so that in case of necessity he would have a
further supply.
Meanwhile, Will was rebuilding the fire. Bluff, aided by Jed, had
succeeded in pulling the dead bear further away, all the while muttering
delighted phrases at the great luck that had come his way so
unexpectedly. He would never be able to sleep that night for wanting to
feast his eyes on the big black bulk that represented such speedy work
with his repeating gun.
"All ready, pard," said Jerry just then.
He had several pieces of good burning wood under his arm, and carried
one that he had lighted at the fire, in his hand. With his other hand he
clasped his gun, ready for business.
"Here, let me carry the torches, Jerry. If a chance comes, you ought to
be prepared for it," said Frank as they reached the opening.
That was his usual generous way, always wanting every one to get his
share of the fun and glory.
They found that the cleft was really wider than any of them had
suspected up to now. Moreover, it showed plain evidences of having been
used by some wild animal for a long time, as there was a regular trail
running into it.
"Looks good to me," declared Jerry, who dearly loved to be prowling
about just such a place as this, with the odor of a wild animal's den
greeting his nostrils as they pushed slowly into the hole in the rocks.
Frank thought he had known spots more pleasant, but then he was game for
anything in this line, so they pushed on, following the turns in the
crack until finally Jerry, who was in advance, stopped.
"I see something ahead there. Thought it moved a little. Raise the
light, please."
"You're not going to shoot, I hope!" exclaimed Frank, who knew that such
a move would be the extreme of foolishness, since at the best Jerry
could only expect to wound, and a bear in that condition was to be
dreaded.
"Certainly not, unless I can see the rascal decently. Now let's advance
slowly. Can you see anything yet?" asked the other.
"Only a dark spot. I hardly think it's a bear, for by now we would have
heard growls of some sort," Frank replied.
"Cubs, perhaps; this is the time of year for them."
"Yes, but that was not a mother bear Bluff shot, you see, and the father
would hardly be in here with the cubs. I never heard of such a thing.
No. You see, just as I said, it's only a lot of stuff where the old chap
had his bed. The smoke made him mad, it seems. Must have had a previous
experience in getting smoked out, and simply couldn't stand for it."
"And the cave ends here, that is, the part of it big enough for our
passage. So, after a look around, perhaps we'd better go back. To tell
the truth, I thought I heard one of the boys shouting just then," said
Jerry, whose ears were unusually keen.
"Probably Bluff, just working off a little more of his enthusiasm. This
has been a big night for him, Jerry. And that gun--well, it won't do for
you to poke fun at it any more, you understand."
They investigated to see what the draught of air meant, and concluded
that the crevice might have another opening further on, though it was
out of their reach, by reason of the smallness of the passage.
"Back to the camp it is, then. No more bears to-night, I reckon," sighed
Jerry, visibly disappointed because he was not to be permitted to share
in the honors that had fallen to Bluff.
So they began to make their way back to the exit.
Frank pushed on with increased speed, for it seemed to him that he, too,
had heard some sort of sounds outside that might bear investigation.
Could the farmer and his man have returned during their absence, and,
cowing the two guardians of the camp, carried the bound boy off to his
servitude again?
The thought annoyed him more than he could say, and it was in that frame
of mind that he and Jerry emerged from the cleft. They found an
apparently deserted camp, with not one of the three in sight.
"Hello, there, Bluff! Will! Where are you?" cried Frank in dismay.
Then a head was cautiously poked up from behind a log--the head of Will.
"Say! Is it gone?" asked this individual in thrilling tones.
"What gone--the bear?" demanded Frank, looking at the dark mass near by.
"No; the ghost! It was here just now, and poor Bluff fell over in a
heap when he jumped up to get his gun. Oh! it was terrible! terrible!"
groaned Will, as he came crawling cautiously forth, and looking half
frightened to death.