"I felt for my pistol, but it was gone—I must have dropped it in the snow when I tumbled. At first I thought the beast would attack me, but he gave one look and then jumped away in the snow—and that's the last I saw or heard of him."
Both of the boys felt instinctively for their weapons and were glad to learn that they were safe.
"I don't want to see any bears," observed Dave. "All I want is to go on and join my father."
"And all I want to do is to find my brother," answered Granbury Lapham. "I sincerely trust they are safe."
"We all hope for that," answered the senator's son.
By the time they gained the mountain road it had stopped snowing, so that they could see a fair distance ahead and behind. Dave gave a long look in advance.
"There is something," he said. "I think it must be our turnout."
"It certainly is the sleigh," said Roger, a minute later. "But it is still turned over."
"Yes, and the two front horses are gone," added the Englishman.
As tired as they were, they pressed forward with all possible speed, and soon came up to the overturned sleigh, with its scattered outfit. Some of their goods had gone down the mountain side out of sight and the rest were covered with snow. The horses were nervous and on the point of dashing off, so that Dave had to go to their heads to quiet them.