it looked to the young hunters as though they had struck the popular hour for the visitors to the salt lick. they were no more than fairly rid of the bisons when they were met by three bears, that showed no wish to yield the path to them. it was this fact that led will and george to take to their heels while jack gedney held his ground.
now, it was the season of the year, as i have said, when the bears are generally in good condition. you know that they are what are called hibernating animals--that is, they spend most of the winter in sleep, during which their nourishment is the fat of their own bodies, though it is claimed that each sucks his fore paw. it is in the spring, when the bears come forth from their winter's sleep, that they are lean, fierce, and dangerous. in the autumn they are in such comfortable form that they will not go far out of their way to harm any one, unless he first provokes them.
jack did not mean to fight the three bears single-handed. he was impatient when he saw that there was just one apiece, and that his two friends had fled.
"you're my game," said jack to himself, drawing his gun to his shoulder and aiming at the foremost.
the latter was less than twenty yards away when he observed the lads. he halted and raised his pig-like snout, while the others, some distance to the rear, lumbered forward, not seeing the cause that had checked their leader.
i must do the brothers credit, however, by making haste to say that they had run but a short distance when both stopped as if by one accord.
"this won't do," said the elder; "if jack makes a fight with the bears we must help him."
"that's what i think," added george, who, as he faced about, raised the flint of his gun.
the sight was a stirring one. there stood jack with his gun at his shoulder, and pointed at the front of the savage-looking beast that had paused, as if from curiosity, and was looking at him. close behind were the other two brutes, swinging along in their awkward fashion, indifferent to the drama that must open within the next few moments.
both will and george could have sent a bullet into the body of the leading bear without stirring from where they stood, had they been so minded, but one or two causes restrained them.
it was clear that, so to speak, the foremost brute belonged to jack himself, and he might well take offence if they should open on him before it was seen that their help was needed.
then, too, the instant the first one should be disposed of, the others would demand attention. the crack of the rifle, and the fall or struggles of the brute, would tell his companions what had taken place, even though bruin is one of the most stupid of animals. jack's gun having been fired, it was more than likely that he would be unable to re-load it in time to make defence against the others. he would have to leave them, therefore, for his comrades to dispose of. they knew that jack would be able to take care of his special charge unless some slip took place. and that slip did take place. the young hunter observed, while his eye was running along the sights of his rifle, that a small limb or twig, no thicker than his finger, reached across the trail between him and the bear, so that it was in the exact line of his fire.
while ordinarily this would have made no difference to the swift-speeding bullet, yet the lad was wise enough to wait until the bear had advanced far enough to shift the line out of the way. this was the cause of the brothers thinking that jack held his aim a long time.
at the instant of firing, however, a slight puff of wind stirred the leaves and moved the twig, so that the stem bowed again across the path of the bullet.
the consequence was that the ball was turned just enough out of its course to wound instead of killing the brute. it chipped its way through a corner of the skull without making a fatal hurt, though it was one that roused all the fury of the enormous beast.
will and george, who were closely watching events, were sure that jack had killed bruin, who reared on his hind legs and swung his paws as if trying to draw the supposed splinters from his flesh. then, instead of toppling over like a small mountain, he made straight for the young man who he well knew had caused his hurt.
jack gedney, like his young friends, was astonished at this proof that he had made a failure. he stood for a moment, waiting for the royal game to fall to the ground, but the vigour of the beast told plainly enough that there was a dangerous amount of life left in him.
unfortunately, this alarming truth did not break upon jack until the beast was on him. he knew better than to try to re-load his gun, but hastily clubbing it, he swung it back over his shoulder, and brought the stock down on the head of the bear with the utmost strength he could command.
it may be said that the blow for one of the boy's years was powerful, but it did no more harm when it landed on the iron-like skull of bruin than if it had been a feather-duster. instead of striking squarely, it glanced with such force that the weapon flew twenty feet out of the hands of the owner.
by this time, as you may well suppose, will and george discovered the peril of their friend, and hastened to his rescue; but the seconds passed fast, and the bear had reared for the purpose of seizing jack, whose blow was descending before the brothers brought their own guns to their shoulders and fired.
they had no time to run closer or to make their aim as effective as they wished, but they sent both bullets into the big black body that rose in front of the brave boy. the result was what you can well understand: bruin was hit hard, but for a time at least he was as strong as ever, while his rage was the more intensified.
he reached out both ponderous paws to seize jack, who, had he been caught, would have received a hug sufficient to crush all the bones in his body to a pulp; but with a dexterity and coolness wonderful in one of his years, he dropped down, so that the paws clasped vacancy over his head, and, darting to one side, he made a dash to the nearest sapling.
when the animal turned to see what had become of his victim, he observed him dashing off in a full run. heavy and clumsy as is the bear, he is capable of considerable speed, and the one of which i am telling you dropped upon all fours, swung around, and made after the boy with astonishing dexterity.
it need not be said that jack did not let the grass grow under his feet. fortunately, indeed, for him that he did not have far to run before he flung his arms and legs about a small tree, up which he began travelling with desperate energy.
as it was, his pursuer was so close, that when he reared again, and reached upward with his paws, his long sharp nails rattled against one of jack's shoes. the boy jerked up both feet as though he had felt the fangs of a rattlesnake, and one more hitch took him beyond reach of the brute.
