Ben had grasped at a low limb of the tree. He was conscious that Bob clambered up directly after him, but not so readily.
“That was just in time,” panted Bob, as both got to a higher limb of the tree. “Got the heel of my shoe, that’s all.”
Below, two baneful orbs of flickering radiance glowered up at them. The bear growled fiercely and began scratching at the hard bark of the tree.
It was a benumbing realization to the two boys to come direct from a safe civilization within less than twenty-four hours into a district infested with savage wild beasts.
“He’s climbing!” cried Bob.
“We must go higher.”
“Then so will he.”
“We have no firearms.”
“No,” replied the doughty Bob, “but there’s a good stout hammer in the bag, and I’m going to see what I can do with it. Here’s a candle, light it. They say a light keeps bears at bay.”
“It doesn’t this one,” reported Ben a minute later.