Like a flash Hal turned to see what help his bunkie needed.
Plenty of it, apparently, for Noll, crowded back to the wall, was making furious drives with his bayoneted gun in his efforts to keep the she bear from leaping and forcing him down to the ground.
Hal had to think like lightning.
He decided on a cartridge.
Slipping back his bolt, and thus ejecting the cartridge shell in the chamber, Overton jammed fresh ammunition home.
Click! shot the bolt faintly.
Dropping to one knee, in the gloom Hal aimed, as nearly as he could judge, just behind the left fore-shoulder of the she bear. Then he pulled on the trigger just as the she bear sprang at Noll Terry.
At the report the she bear toppled over with a grunt of pain. Noll leaped forward, thrusting his bayonet time after time.
Private Overton, clubbing his rifle, delivered several forceful whacks over the head of the expiring animal, which then lay quiet.
"We've settled their case, Noll," Hal remarked in an awed voice.