Sandy looked at the creek and shivered. The water looked blue, as if shivering from the cold. He faced about and decided to take a few more shots at the bear before risking his life in the cold water.
"You'll have to jump!" Will shouted from the other side.
"I wouldn't have to jump," Sandy cried back, "If you'd do more shooting and less talking! Go on and use up your lead!"
In the excitement of the time, Will had, indeed, forgotten to keep his automatic busy. He now began shooting as fast as the weapon would carry the lead away, and bruin seemed to take offense at the activity with which the bullets flew about him. He was bleeding in several places, and was in a perfect frenzy of rage.
"I guess that's an armored bear!" Will shouted across the creek. "I don't believe our bullets have any effect on him!"
By this time the bear was within a few paces of Sandy. The boy's automatic was empty now, yet he obstinately refused to spring into the water. Bruin reached out one paw and Sandy ducked, coming up behind the clumsy animal and landed a blow with the butt of the automatic on his head.
The next few moments were something of a blank in the mind of the boy. He heard Will calling to him, he knew that he had been struck by the bear, knew that his chum's bullets were still flying across the river, and knew that things were turning black around him.
Then he felt a dash of cold water in his face, and looked up to see Will standing over him, pouring water out of his hat.
"What did I do to the bear?" he asked faintly.
"Wait till you get to a mirror and see what the bear did to you!" replied Will. "What you got was a plenty!"