“Guess that’s what’s making it ache,” he thought, “But it’ll be light in less than an hour and Jack’ll be starting. Pray God he finds me quickly.”
A few minutes later a light breeze sprang up and as it increased in strength the mosquitoes vanished. With a sigh of relief Bob sank back and was almost instantly asleep despite the throbbing pain which was now manifesting itself in his leg.
He could have slept but a short time for it was still dark when he awoke conscious of a sound in the woods a short distance behind him. He listened and in a moment he heard it again. Some heavy animal was making its way slowly through the woods.
“That’s either a moose or a bear,” he thought. “Hope he don’t take a notion to come this way. I’m not exactly in a position to put up much of a fight.”
The animal was evidently in no hurry and for some minutes the boy was uncertain whether it was coming in his direction or not. But the uncertainty did not last long for soon a snapping of dead branches close at hand told him only too plainly that the animal was coming directly toward him. And a minute later all doubt regarding the identity of the visitor was dispelled by a low ominous growl.
“It’s a bear sure as smoke,” he told himself as he twisted around and managed to draw his automatic. “Now if I only had a flash light.”
By this time bruin was only a few feet away as Bob could tell by the growls which came almost continually.
“He knows there’s something here but is not sure just what it is, and is wondering what he had better do,” Bob thought as he waited. “Hope he decides to let well enough alone and go on about his own business.”
His gun was a forty-five easily capable of killing a bear with a single shot provided that shot landed in the right place. But to hit that place in the intense darkness was he knew a thousand to one shot. Unless very hungry or with cubs a bear will rarely attack a man and knowing this Bob hoped that the bear would let him alone. But fear sprang to his heart when, a moment later, he heard the low whine of a small cub.
“She’ll get me if I don’t get her at the first shot,” he thought gripping his revolver. “And it’ll be in a minute, too,” he muttered as he heard the bear now but a few feet away. “Oh, for a bit of light!”