Will Bertram discovered two things as he thrilled to a realization of
his true position.
Some ten feet away was daylight penetrating through the main aperture
to the cave, while directly in front of him and against this light was
the great, crouching body of the bear itself.
Its eyes, like two sparks of yellow fire, glared fixedly upon him,
while its low grumblings told that its rage was fully aroused.
Will stood rooted to the spot, but only for a moment, for a movement on
the part of the bear aroused him to sudden action.
Springing forward, the animal brought its huge foot across the
intruder’s arm, tearing the sleeve of his coat into shreds.
The torch had fallen to the floor of the cave, and still flickered
brightly. With no weapon to defend himself, Will stooped and seized it,
and brandished it squarely in the bear’s face.
With a growl the animal retreated a step or two, but maintained a
strict and entire guardianship of the way leading to the main exit from
the cave.
Will gave a quick glance behind him, but instantly abandoned all
thoughts of escaping by the way he had come.
The aperture was at the end of a slanting decline and several feet
above his head.
To climb up that would consume time, and bruin, more agile than he,
would certainly overtake him ere he had accomplished the exit.
In a flash, Will decided that but one way of escape lay open to him,
and that was by dashing past the bear through the main entrance, beyond
which a glance revealed Tom Dalton.
The cave narrowed as it came to this spot, and this passage way was
almost completely filled by the bear’s enormous body.
The animal seemed ready for a second onslaught on the intruder, when
Will, waving the torch so as to cause it to flame still more, again
thrust it into the animal’s face.
Bruin roared with pain and rage and showed his horrible fangs, but
retreated slowly.
“If I could only drive him to the open air,” murmured Will,
tumultuously.
There seemed but little hope of this, however, for the bear at last
appeared to make a sullen stand, and half-raised himself, as if to
spring on Will.
The latter could see open daylight beyond. A few feet more and he
believed he could rush past the bear in safety.
With a last, desperate movement he flung the burning torch square at
the head of the bear.
The animal crouched back, and then turned with a frightful howl.
A sudden, clicking snap echoed on the air, and the bear seemed
struggling and floundering in a strange way.
“The trap!” cried Will, wildly.
His excited words expressed the bear’s dilemma. Bruin, enraged and
retreating, had walked into the very snare he had before avoided.
He was foaming with rage, and, his hind legs firmly caught between the
clamps of the immense steel trap set at the mouth of the cave, was
struggling wildly to release himself.
With a shout of relief and joy, Will darted past the imprisoned bear
and into the open air.
He found Tom Dalton standing staring at the bear in open-mouthed
wonderment.
The trap was secured by an iron chain around a tree, and, although it
allowed bruin a certain range of action, it held him a prisoner.
Tom was struck on the arm, and came very near within the bear’s
floundering grasp, but Will pulled him aside in time to avoid a
crushing blow from the animal’s heavy paw.
Will entertained his companion with a vivid account of his adventure.
“You run to the camp and tell Mr. Hunter what has occurred,” he said,
when he had concluded his story. “I’ll stay and watch the bear.”
Mr. Hunter and several of the men arrived soon. He complimented Will on
his capture, and pronounced the bear a fine specimen of his species.
Will watched the men interestedly as, with the aid of poles and hooks,
they secured bruin so that he could not injure them, when they conveyed
him to a cage wagon which was sent for.
Some chloroform on a sponge robbed bruin of his natural fierceness, and
he was finally safely caged.
The ensuing morning a fox and a wolf were found, with other smaller
animals, in the traps, set in various places around the camp.
The history of one day was that of all the week spent at the camp. One
wagon was ready to send back, and then Mr. Hunter announced that they
would push on still further into the wilderness.
It was an exciting and interesting tramp for the two boys. The ensuing
three weeks were the busiest ones they had ever known.
They learned how the moose, the deer, the otter, the catamount and
other animals were captured, and many a thrilling experience was theirs
in a quest for rare birds amid the lonely forests.
When the snow became compact, rude runners were substituted for wheels
on the wagons, and several of the vehicles left the expedition filled
with captured animals and birds.
When they were traveling it would sometimes be entire days ere they
would come across a settlement, or even a house.
It was just about a month after leaving Watertown when, one day, an
incident occurred which materially changed all the plans of the two
boys who had so strangely become members of the expedition.
They had orders to prepare for a new move that night, and early in the
day had gone back by the route they had come to a place where a rocky
formation in the landscape had suggested the idea of successful bird
hunting.
Several eagles had been noticed by the boys, and it was to capture
one of these that they determined to make the expedition on their own
account.
The weather had become mild, and the snow had almost disappeared. Mr.
Hunter warned them not to go too far from the camp, as a storm was
threatened.
Provided with ropes and snares, Will and Tom reached the spot they had
in view, and for over an hour wandered about the place.
At last, some distance away, they made out several large birds circling
about a rocky point of land.
Will suggested that they visit the spot, and this took them still
farther away from the camp.
Clambering over the rocks, exploring this and that secluded aerie,
and endeavoring to snare some of the birds, which they thought to be
eagles, the hours passed so rapidly away that dusk grew upon them
before they realized how the day had advanced.
“Why, Will, it’s getting dark!” suddenly exclaimed Tom.
They abandoned their efforts at catching the birds and descended to the
level plain beneath.
The scenery around them seemed utterly unfamiliar, and Will was
somewhat alarmed, as he found that he was considerably confused as to
the points of the compass.
However, he finally decided upon what he supposed to be the direction
in which the camp lay, and they started forward on their way.
Darkness came on, and, although they had progressed several miles, they
were more bewildered than ever concerning their real whereabouts.
Any person who has been lost knows how, in the effort to regain some
familiar landmark, the mind becomes affrighted and bewildered, and the
feet wander unconsciously and aimlessly.
It was so with Will and Tom. It must have been nearly morning before
they came to a halt.
They built a fire in a thicket and determined to wait until daybreak
before they attempted again to ascertain their bearings or endeavored
to reach the camp.
Will had not imparted his real anxieties to Tom, but when, the ensuing
day, several hours’ wandering failed to reveal any trace of the camp or
its proximity, he began to exhibit a deep concern.
“See here, Tom,” he said, frankly, at last, “I’ve led you to believe
that it was only a matter of time in reaching the camp.”
“Yes, Will.”
“Well, I thought it was, but I’ve changed my mind.”
“You said the opening here looked like one near our last camping place.”
“I was mistaken.”
“Then you don’t think we’ll reach camp to-night?”
“I’m afraid not, Tom. There’s no use evading the true condition of
affairs. We’ve been going in a wrong direction all day. We are lost!”