“It is only fair,” said the danneman, rubbing his arm, which the black bear had bruised through the cord, “it is not our place to kill them. We have each of us secured a prize. Call your comrades; for my part, I am too much blown, and then I have had a fine fright, I confess. That was a narrow escape; and without you—. But call them, I say. I will talk about that another time.”
Christian shouted with all the strength of his lungs; and the danneman, still trembling a little, but as attentive as ever, reloaded his gun quickly, so as to have it in readiness in case the cubs should abandon their mother’s body, and attempt to fly before the arrival of the other hunters.
The firing had already notified the latter of the combat, and they soon appeared, coming from three directions. Larrson, who was first, shouted victory when he saw the enormous bear lying at Christian’s feet.
“Look out! stop!” cried Christian. “Our bear was a mother; she had two fine young ones. I intercede for these poor orphans. Take them living.”
“Certainly,” replied Larrson. “To the rescue, comrades! here are some pupils for us to bring up.”
They surrounded the corpse of the she-bear, and raised it cautiously; for even when this animal seems to be dead it is necessary to be on your guard, lest it should be feigning. They had some difficulty in capturing the cubs, who already showed their claws and teeth, but they were secured, at last, and carefully bound and muzzled. This accomplished, they had leisure to admire the ample booty which the den had concealed, and regrets were half expressed, which the danneman hastened to anticipate.
“You must pardon me for what I have done,” he said to the two young officers. “I had strong suspicions that that great spotted creature was a mother; did I tell you she was spotted? Oh, I saw her plainly, but I could not get a good look at the young ones, and, as for the friend, I had not seen him at all. I have often been told that the mother brings into her winter’s refuge a young wicked one, who is neither the father of her little ones, nor even a relative of the family, to defend and bring up her children, in case she should be killed. Never having seen this, I hadn’t much faith in it; now, having seen it, I believe it. If I had known as much before, I should have brought two of you, so that each might have killed a fine animal; but who could have expected such a thing? Not thinking to shoot, I only took my gun by way of precaution, in case the Herr I was going with should miss fire, and find himself in danger. As for the iron-shod boar-spear, I had so little idea of using it, that I did not even look to see whether the one I took was in good condition. Well then,” continued the danneman, addressing Christian, “this is what happened. I told you that I would return for you as soon as I had posted the others, and as soon as this was done I intended to go straight back where I had left you. But some beast must have disturbed the marks I made last night; for, without getting lost exactly, I passed directly before the den, and did not recognize where I was, until it was too late to draw back. The wicked one heard me, and she came against me, because she had young ones. I tried to frighten her by waving my arm, so as to make her return to her house, but she would not be frightened, she rose on her hind legs. I ripped her open; I had to do it, and at the same time I called twice. At the sound of my voice the friend came to the door of the house, and, to keep him from escaping, I ran and stood before it, without remembering that my boar-spear was lying broken by the mother. I thought she was dead, but after I was standing there she rose up, fell down, and rose up again, twice. Then, Herr Christian, the time seemed very long to me before you arrived; for, on the one side I had the mother, who, at any moment, might recover strength enough to throw herself upon me, and, on the other, the friend, who was only waiting for this reinforcement to begin a quarrel with me himself, without counting the two young ones, who I knew very well would be between my legs as soon as the fight should be begun. Against all that I had only one gun-shot, and that was not enough! I did not even dare take aim; for, at the sight of a weapon aimed, the wicked ones come to the point more quickly. I was frightened; I can acknowledge it now without shame, since I did not stir a foot, and since the four creatures are in our hands. I waited for you—it seemed to me that I waited a year—and yet I believe you came very quickly, Herr Christian, since all has turned out so well—yes, very well indeed, I declare, and you are a brave man! I am sorry there should have been any angry words between us beforehand. But it is all forgotten; it is not my life only that I owe you, but my heart, just as much. Come and embrace me, and remember that I look upon you as my son.”
Christian embraced the Dalecarlian with deep emotion, and the latter related to the rest of the party how, after quickly despatching the she-bear, body to body, the young man had killed the friend very opportunely, by lodging a ball in his head, at only two inches from his, Bœtsoi’s, face. Christian objected modestly to the danneman’s exaggeration upon this latter point; but as Bœtsoi, in his enthusiasm, would not abate a jot from his statement, and as there were no means of proving the facts, the exploit of the young adventurer assumed colossal proportions in the imagination of Larrson and his friends. Their esteem for him increased accordingly, and this is not at all surprising. Presence of mind is the highest faculty of true courage. We pity those who fail, but we admire those who succeed. Without being betrayed into self-admiration, Christian felt a deep satisfaction at having acquired a claim to the friendship of the danneman, whom he persisted henceforth in regarding as his near relative; but he was very careful not to return to his imprudent questions. He resolved to seek the truth elsewhere, even if it should require a great deal of time and patience to arrive at it.
The weight of the two dead bears, especially that of the female, was enormous; together, they weighed more than four hundred pounds. To drag them over that rough country, where it was with difficulty that you could make your own way, seemed impossible. Even horses could not have accomplished it. As the day had reached its meridian, and as the young officers wanted to join the baron’s hunt, they found themselves embarrassed with too much riches. Even the cubs, who refused to walk, were very much in the way.
“Go along with you,” said the danneman; “with my children I will soon fell two or three young trees, and build a hurdle; we will put the bears on that, and slide it along to my house. From there, I will send them to you by my sleigh and horse; they shall be at your bostoelle in two hours, so that you can show them to your friends.”