"Great snakes!" said Bill. "I hope it's a big one, so Skinny can hit it. He couldn't hit a little one."
"I couldn't, couldn't I?" said he. "I'll show you whether I can hit it or not. Come on. I'll dare you to."
That settled it. We weren't going to take a dare, but I was hoping all the time that the bear had run away. So, with Benny keeping close to me and pointing the way, we crept through the woods, not making any noise, and each boy held his bow and arrow ready to shoot.
It was scary but it was fun. Finally, with an excited pinch of my arm, Benny stopped and pointed.
My heart throbbed like a trip-hammer, and I hardly could hold my arrow on the cord, for, looking through some bushes, I caught sight of something black and heard the bear tramping around.
I heard Skinny muttering something about a rope; then he whispered:
"Get ready, and run as soon as you shoot."
"Aim."
We stood there, trembling, wanting to run first and shoot afterward, but too proud to. Each boy pointed his arrow toward where we could see the bear standing still behind some bushes and only a part, of him showing.
