Thorsen jabbed his toe into the shaggy body. “Quite dead, I assure you, my young friends.”
“We had just reached the end of the ravine when we heard the shots,” Professor Stern said. “Now tell us what happened.”
Both talking at once, the boys recited the story of their escapade with the big Kodiak.
“You remember that old movie King Kong, where the girl first sees this giant gorilla?” Jerry asked. “Well, that’s how I felt when this thing came at me. Oh broth-er!” He shuddered.
Sandy took out the black Colt pistol. “And this is what saved our lives.”
Thorsen took it from him and examined it admiringly. “A true gem. Do you know how this gun was developed? During the Philippine Insurrection, American troops were being demoralized by fierce Moro tribesmen, savage warriors who carried wicked bolo knives. The Moros would pop up out of the jungle without warning and attack the soldiers at such close quarters that it was impossible for them to use their rifles. And the Moros were so physically powerful that the average pistol couldn’t stop them. Even with a half dozen bullets in them, they could decapitate an enemy with their bolos before they died. The Army Colt .45 was designed especially to stop them. And it did the job well—with one slug.”
“It certainly stopped this monster,” said Chris Hanson.
“But it was a very lucky shot,” Professor Stern tempered his praise. “The first shot you fired with the rifle creased his skull and stunned him. He was probably still whoozy when you ran into him, or you might not have had a chance to get in a second shot. Your last shot severed the jugular vein. It was a very lucky shot,” he emphasized.
“You don’t have to convince me, Professor,” Sandy said soberly. “As of now I am a retired bear hunter.”