“But didn’t I lure him along with my trailing muscalonge?” demanded Lub, triumphantly; “if it hadn’t been for me fishing so industriously out here on the ice, and tempting Bruin to show himself, would you have had a chance to shoot? I guess not. You only finished my work for me; I must have had him all tired out running.”
Ethan wore a wide grin by that time.
“Sure you did, Lub,” he declared frankly, with a wink toward Phil; “anybody could see that you meant to wear him down to his death. His tongue was hanging out of his mouth, and if you’d kept him going long enough there isn’t any doubt but that the poor thing would have turned up his toes without a single shot being fired. We’ll call him Lub’s coaxed bear after this.”
“There’s two of your tip-ups acting crazy, Lub,” called out X-Ray just then; “and you’d better be taking off the fish you’ll find on the hooks.”
“Isn’t this the greatest sort of sport though?” said Lub, as he started off to attend to his lines.
“It certainly couldn’t well be beaten!” admitted Phil, as he and his two comrades indulged in a fit of laughter that was none the less vigorous because they chose to keep it silent, out of consideration for the feelings of their beloved fat chum.
“I wonder how it comes this chap hadn’t gone into winter quarters yet?” Ethan remarked, poking the dead bear with the toe of his boot. “Down our way they can seldom be seen after the first snowfall, and never come out until there is a regular break-up of winter.”
“Well, away up here the winter lasts much longer, and that would account for it,” Phil suggested. “They may want to stay out to the very last, knowing how it holds on away up to May. But no matter what the cause, this fine fat fellow stayed out too long.”
“He’ll not hibernate any more if we know it,” observed X-Ray Tyson, with a satisfied smirk; “instead he’ll help to fill up four hungry chaps I happen to be acquainted with. And after all what nobler end could any bear wish to come to than that?”
Two of the boys returned, to get busy again on the shack; while Phil stayed out on the ice to attend to taking the hide from the dead bear, and securing what choice portions they wanted.