FOUR BOYS AND A BEAR
"ESCAPED!" ejaculated Shep.
"How in the world did he manage it?" queried Snap.
Then both young hunters leaped up and dressed as rapidly as possible.
"He was a slick one," said Aaron Masterson. "He got free of the rope
around his wrists somehow and then he clum to the top o' the harness
closet and into the loft. From the winder he dropped onto the shed an'
then to the ground."
"But what of your dog? Didn't he go after him?" questioned the
doctor's son.
"No, the barn door was shet, to keep out the wind, so Rover couldn't
follow him."
"When do you suppose he got away?"
"Some time during the night."
"Can't we follow him?" asked Snap.
"We can try."
All went outside and down to the barn. The tracks left by Kiddy Leech
were plainly to be seen from the barn to the highway, but there the
footprints were hopelessly lost in the multitude of others.
"Ain't no use to try to follow him," said Aaron Masterson. "The road
branches off four times between here an' town an' there ain't no
tellin' wot road he tuk. More'n likely he's travelin' as fast as all
git-out, too."
"He certainly will do his level best to get away--after such
experiences as he has had," answered Snap. "Perhaps he will never show
himself in this locality again."
They remained out on the road, looking up and down, for five minutes,
and then returned to the house.
"Did he steal anything?" asked Shep.
"By gum! I didn't think o' that!" gasped Aaron Masterson.
He took a thorough look around and then came in and gave a sigh of
satisfaction.
"Nothin' missing, so far as I can see," he said. "Reckon he was too
scart to pick up anything. The dog must have barked, but I didn't hear
him."
"Neither did I," answered Snap. "It was so cold I rolled up as tight
as I could, ears and all, in the blankets."
With the tramp gone, there seemed nothing to do but for Snap and Shep
to return to the camp. Mrs. Masterson served them with a fine
breakfast of sausage, and, wheatcakes with molasses, and the boys
"filled up" as only growing boys can. Then the lady of the house gave
them a mince pie and some crullers to take with them. Neither she nor
her husband would take any pay for what they had done.
"It's too bad thet tramp got away," said Aaron Masterson. "But I did
wot I thought best to hold him."
"Oh, we don't blame you, Mr. Masterson," said Snap. "But it is a pity
such a rascal should be at large."
It was pleasant enough when the sun showed itself, and by eight
o'clock the two young hunters were on their journey to Firefly Lake.
It must be confessed that they found their load a heavy one, and by
noon they were still some distance from camp.
"We'll have to stop, to rest and get a lunch," said the doctor's son.
"No use of killing ourselves."
"I suppose Giant and Whopper are wondering what has become of us,"
said Snap.
They came to a rest in the shelter of some pine trees and ate a lunch
Mrs. Masterson had prepared for them, in the meantime keeping warm by
a fire they built of tree branches. The rest occupied half an hour and
then they went on as before.
"Wonder what the boys are doing?" said Snap, as they reached Firefly
Lake.
"Giant said something about fishing through the ice," answered his
companion. "He appears to love that sport."
"Well, it is nice--when you can catch anything--and Giant is always
lucky."
They had proceeded less than half the distance up the lake to the camp
when Snap came to a halt.
"Listen, Shep!"
"It is Giant calling," answered the doctor's son. "He must be in
trouble!"
"Whopper! Whopper!" came to their ears. "Help me! A bear is after me!"
"A bear is after Giant!" gasped Snap. "Come on, Shep, we must aid
him!"
"There he is." said Shep, as they swept around a bend of the lake.
"And look, a big bear is after him!"
"Let us shoot the bear!" cried Snap, and dropped his hold of the sled
rope, while the doctor's son did the same. Then both young hunters
brought around their shotguns and aimed at the big bear. But Giant was
also in range and they did not dare to fire.
"Giant, run to one side!" sang out Snap. "Give us a chance to shoot! I
think I can hit him."
"Snap!" gasped the smaller member of the Gun Club. "Shoot him! shoot
him! He wants to eat me up!"
"Hullo! hullo!" came from the camp, and now Whopper appeared, rifle in
hand. "By ginger, a bear!"
By this time the bear was closing in upon poor Giant. The beast was
hungry and the smell of fish was very tempting. With nothing else to
do, Giant threw his mess of fish directly in the bear's face.
The movement was a surprise to bruin and he stopped short. Then he
caught up the string of fish, turned swiftly but clumsily, and
lumbered off in the direction of the forest bordering the lake.
It was now that Snap and Shep, as well as Whopper, got a chance to
fire at the beast, and all did so hastily. But they were excited over
Giant's narrow escape and their shots did no more than to wound the
bear slightly, in the ear and the side. Bruin gave a growl, made a
turn as if to come back, and then dove into the forest and was lost to
view.
"He--he wanted my fish!" gasped Giant. "Well, he is welcome to them,
so long as he doesn't chew me up!"
"What a pity that we didn't nail him," said Shep.
"Shall we go after him?" demanded Whopper. "The four of us ought to be
able to lay him low."
"I am not going after him just now," answered Giant, who was still as
white as a sheet.
The others talked it over for a few minutes and it was decided to
follow up the bear some other time, if it could be done. Whopper and
Giant were anxious to hear what Snap and Shep had to tell, and all
took themselves to the Inn, dragging the sled after them.
As soon as the excitement was over, Snap and Shep told their tale in
full, to which Giant and Whopper listened with close attention. The
latter were sorry that Kiddy Leech had escaped, but glad that the
outing had not been broken up.
"I'd rather say here than go to court and testify against that tramp,"
said Whopper. "I don't like to go to court."
"Oh, so would I," answered Shep. "But it was our duty to bring him to
justice, if it could be done."
Giant was sorry he had lost his mess of fish, but he had no desire to
try his luck again for the time being.
"That bear may be watching around here," he said. "And I don't want
him to make a meal of me!"
With it all, the boys were happy to be together again, and equally
happy to have their outfit back. That evening they cooked themselves
what Whopper declared was "a stunning supper," and enjoyed it to the
utmost. It was nine o'clock before they turned in, worn out but happy.
But they did not sleep long. Snap had just gotten into a doze when he
heard a scratching outside. He sat up and listened, and soon the
scratching was repeated.
"What can that be?" he mused, and then of a sudden his hair seemed to
stand upon end. "It must be that bear, and he is trying to get in!"