“Ow-yow!” shrieked Jennie Stone. “Do you girls see the same things I do?”
To those ahead, however, it seemed no matter for laughter. The bears—evidently a female with two cubs—were too close for fun-making.
CHAPTER XIV—AT FREEZEOUT CAMP
There is nothing really savage looking about a bear unless it is savage. Otherwise a bear has a rather silly looking countenance. These three bears had been walking peacefully down the trail, and were surprised at the sudden appearance of the cavalcade of ponies from around the bend, for such wind as was stirring was blowing down the trail.
The larger bear, the mother of the two half-grown cubs, instantly realized the danger of their position. It may have looked like an ursine hold-up to the tourists; but old Mother Bear was quite sure she and her cubs were in man-peril.
She growled fiercely, cuffing her cubs right and left and sending them scuttling and whining off into the bushes. She roared at the startled pony riders and did not descend from her haunches.
She looked terrible enough then. Her teeth, fully displayed, promised to tear and rend both ponies and riders if they came near enough.
Miss Cullam was speechless with fright. The ponies had halted, snorting; but for the first minute or so none of them backed away from the threatening beast.
The hair rose stiffly on the bear’s neck and she uttered a second challenging growl. Tom had pulled out his automatic; but he had already learned that at any considerable distance this weapon was not to be depended upon. Min’s forty-five threw a bullet where one aimed; not so the newfangled weapon.
Besides, the bear was a big one and it really looked as though a pistol ball would be an awfully silly thing to throw at it.