As they gazed, the glowing orbs rose slowly to about the height of a man, where they again remained stationary. There was a rock wall a short distance in front of the cave so that no sky-line could be visible from the entrance. Consequently, in the pitch darkness there was not the slightest suggestion of a form that could be distinguished. It was as though the luminous points had raised independent of any agency. But the fact of their rising to the height at which they stopped suggested a possibility to Sidney, and he exclaimed under his breath,—
“It must be a bear, Ray, and he’s risen to his hind legs.”
“Gee! I believe it is, and those are his eyes.”
“But don’t shoot, you would only wound him.”
Sidney’s warning was too late, for as he spoke Raymond fired. The glowing balls wavered, rapidly disappearing and reappearing several times, then became extinguished. At the same time there was the sound of scratching and straining, with groaning and grunting. Then there was a cough or two and all was quiet.
The boys waited with their hearts in their throats, expecting an attack from some sort of formidable animal. But the silence continued.
“You certainly hit him, Ray,” said Sidney.
“Yes, but why didn’t he drop?”
“Perhaps you didn’t kill him.”
“Then why didn’t he run away, or attack us? And why is he so still now?”