“Yonder looks like a regular bear’s den,” he said; “And if that is so, there may be a whole family of the animals around. Keep your eyes open, and if you see anything don’t shoot until you are certain of your aim.”
An instant later the bear discovered them.—Page [127].
Having thus delivered himself, Washington led the advance from the right, while Dave moved forward on the left. Step by step they came closer to the rocks, each with his rifle raised, ready to shoot as soon as it became necessary. The tracks were plain here and both felt that the bear could not have gone beyond the wall of rocks further back.
Suddenly the surveyor halted and called softly to Dave to do the same. He had caught sight of a large, black body crouching behind the first of the rocks. An instant later the bear discovered them and gave a low, savage growl, at the same time leaping on the rocks in full view of both.
Crack! It was Washington’s rifle that spoke up first and his aim was so true that the bear was hit fairly and squarely in the forehead and badly stunned, though not mortally wounded. Then Dave fired, landing a ball in the beast’s shoulder.
A fearful growling and snapping followed, and the bear tumbled from the rock and rolled over and over. But it was still able to fight, and regaining its legs, rushed toward Dave, who was not slow to retreat, doing his best to reload his rifle as he ran.
“Keep out of his reach, David!” called out Washington. “Come this way and let me get another shot at him!”
Dave heard the cry, but it was several seconds before he could veer around in the surveyor’s direction, for the bear kept somewhat between its two human enemies. But at last he got beside Washington, and then the latter let drive a second time, now landing a bullet in the bear’s vitals.
Two steps more, and the animal went down a second time and rolled over, gasping and snarling in a horrible fashion. Seeing the beast was almost done for Dave plucked up courage and ran close to it and let it have a fourth bullet in the ear. This was the finishing touch, and the big black bear gave a shudder and lay dead at their feet.