The grizzly, however, stopped of his own accord, just outside of the shadow-line of the forest. Then he hunched in a big frosty heap over his prey and began to tear and rend.
“Jess was a mighty good horse,” muttered Dale, grimly; “too good to make a meal for a hog silvertip.”
Then the hunter silently rose to a kneeling position, swinging the rifle in front of him. He glanced up into the low branches of the tree overhead.
“Girls, there's no tellin' what a grizzly will do. If I yell, you climb up in this tree, an' do it quick.”
With that he leveled the rifle, resting his left elbow on his knee. The front end of the rifle, reaching out of the shade, shone silver in the moonlight. Man and weapon became still as stone. Helen held her breath. But Dale relaxed, lowering the barrel.
“Can't see the sights very well,” he whispered, shaking his head. “Remember, now--if I yell you climb!”
Again he aimed and slowly grew rigid. Helen could not take her fascinated eyes off him. He knelt, bareheaded, and in the shadow she could make out the gleam of his clear-cut profile, stern and cold.
A streak of fire and a heavy report startled her. Then she heard the bullet hit. Shifting her glance, she saw the bear lurch with convulsive action, rearing on his hind legs. Loud clicking snaps must have been a clashing of his jaws in rage. But there was no other sound. Then again Dale's heavy gun boomed. Helen heard again that singular spatting thud of striking lead. The bear went down with a flop as if he had been dealt a terrific blow. But just as quickly he was up on all-fours and began to whirl with hoarse, savage bawls of agony and fury. His action quickly carried him out of the moonlight into the shadow, where he disappeared. There the bawls gave place to gnashing snarls, and crashings in the brush, and snapping of branches, as he made his way into the forest.
“Sure he's mad,” said Dale, rising to his feet. “An' I reckon hard hit. But I won't follow him to-night.”
Both the girls got up, and Helen found she was shaky on her feet and very cold.
“Oh-h, wasn't--it--won-wonder-ful!” cried Bo.
“Are you scared? Your teeth are chatterin',” queried Dale.
“Well, it sure is cold, all right,” he responded. “Now the fun's over, you'll feel it.... Nell, you're froze, too?”