INTO A BEAR'S DEN
"Boys, I move we go after that bear."
It was Snap who spoke, on the morning of the second day after Jed Sanborn had left them. He was eating breakfast and so were his chums.
"You mean the bear we saw up on the mountain, when we were after those wildcats?" queried Giant.
"Yes. Somehow, I think we can get him, if we try hard enough. And it would be a feather in our caps to bring back a bear."
"All right, I'm with you," said Shep. "Even if we don't get the bear we can climb to the top of the mountain and get a good look at the country for miles around. Maybe we'll be able to see Fairview."
The proposal to go after the bear pleased all the young hunters, and they decided to lose no time in getting ready for the trip.
"As there is no telling what luck we may have on the mountain, or when we'll get back, we had better take sufficient food with us to last all day," suggested the doctor's son.
The sky looked a trifle uncertain to them, but nobody wanted to stay in camp waiting for it to rain. They started off about nine o'clock, taking to the trail they had previously pursued. Snap led the way, with the others following in Indian file. The leader of the club had a rifle while the others were provided with shotguns. They carried with them sufficient ammunition to bring down a dozen bears.
Noon found them well up on the mountain and in the vicinity where the bear had been seen. On the way they had stirred up some quail and Giant had taken two shots before the others could stop him, bringing down four of the birds.