"Just wait a moment, and see how nice I will drop that chap."
"No; you mustn't," she interrupted, drawing down his arm. "Remember the promise you made to Sebastian."
"But he didn't mean bears," plead Crockett, very loth to forego the pleasure of picking off the noble game.
"He meant every thing; he meant that you mustn't make the least noise to bring the Comanches down upon us, and you mustn't do it!"
By this time the bear had disappeared around the house, and the hunter reluctantly lowered his piece.
"Would thar be any harm," he asked, entreatingly, "in me slipping after the critter, and chasing him away off in the woods, and then dropping him?"
"And leaving me alone?"
"Ah, me!" sighed Crockett, "I s'pose you're right, but b'ars is my weakness, and when I see one, thar's such an itching in my hands, that it's mighty hard work to keep still, but I'll stick to you, till we get out of this muss."
He asked as a boon, however, that she would consent to his standing where he was so as to look at the bear, if he should put in an appearance again.
Katrina could not well refuse this, but she took good care to remain with him, for after what she had witnessed, it was plain that he could not be trusted, in the matter of bears.