Later in the evening the moon came up big and bright and flooded the snow-covered country with its light. The boys asked Ben if they might take some meat down to the edge of the lake for a bait to entice whatever wild creatures might be abroad. They explained that they wished to hide near-by, to watch, in the hope of getting a shot. The guide smilingly gave consent, with the understanding that they would return promptly when he called.
Armed with a lantern, the bait, and their guns, the boys followed their own snowshoe trail to the edge of the ice. They threw the meat a short distance out from shore, and it instantly sank from sight in the snow. They recovered it, and moved farther along. Next time the bait was placed carefully on a log. Then they concealed themselves and waited anxiously for some forest prowler to make its appearance.
The moonlight shining on the snow made the lake and surrounding wilderness weird and ghostly. Not a sound disturbed the stillness except the thumping of their own hearts. Somehow the forest seemed bigger and wilder, and they were glad to know that the cabin was not far away. There was little wind astir, but the still cold stung their noses and fingers and forced its way through their clothes and made them shiver. The lads crouched side by side, with their guns held in readiness and their eyes fixed intently on the log, where the bait showed distinctly against the snow.
Something was moving in the woods close beside them. A twig snapped loudly in the frosty air. The boys felt thrills of excitement.
“Suppose it’s a bear!” whispered George.
“We’ll both fire at once and then run for the cabin,” replied Ed.
Although they listened for some minutes, the alarming sounds were not repeated. A bit relieved, they began swinging their arms to warm themselves.
“I don’t believe anything will come around while we’re standing here,” declared Ed, a little later.
George was about to reply when they were startled by some unknown beast, which began growling fiercely within a few yards of their hiding-place.
Almost at the same instant a big black animal walked into the circle of moonlight! Both of them fired at it. A terrifying roar came in response to the shots, and the clumsy creature lumbered away in the direction of the cabin.