“If it’s a bear, how are we to get up to him?”
“We had better skulk along behind the trees. I can go to the right, and you can go to the left. But don’t fire until you are sure of what you are aiming at.”
“All right.”
With their guns before them the two young hunters left the vicinity of the fallen log, and proceeded in the direction of the object. They soon separated a distance of a hundred feet.
It was not long before Joe made out the object to be a black bear beyond any doubt. The big fellow was lumbering along clumsily as if either tired or wounded. As a matter of fact he had been in a fight with some other wild animals the day before, and had received severe nips in the shoulder and the left foreleg.
It was not long before the bear saw that he was being pursued, and then he started off on something of a gallop through the snow, sending the latter flying in all directions.
“Fire on him!” shouted Joe, and let drive, followed immediately by his companion.
Both shots took effect, but neither was serious, and they only caused the bear to utter a savage roar of pain and rage. He turned as if to attack Harry.
“Look out, he is coming for you!” yelled Joe, who was reloading with all possible speed.
At the sound of his voice the bear turned and, seeing Joe, paused. Then he changed his course.