The halt was made at noon to give the horses a needed rest, for they had done considerable hard climbing. Even the peerless Whirlwind showed the effects of the unusual task. It being understood that the pause was to be for several hours, a general break-up of the company followed. The Blackfoot and the Shawanoe strolled off by themselves, and George and Victor Shelton took another direction, with a caution not to wander too far and to return before sunset.
The boys soon found themselves in a region where progress was difficult. They were not following any trail, and were forced at times to clamber over boulders3 and other obstructions4, or to flank them; to descend5 into deep depressions and to climb ridges6 at whose summits they were obliged to sit down for a breathing spell. Such hard work made them thirsty, and when they came to one of the numerous tumbling brooks7, whose waters were as clear as crystal and as cold as the snow and ice from which they sprang, they refreshed themselves with a deep draught8 and sat down for a rest.
“Whew!” sighed Victor, removing his cap and mopping his moist forehead; “there isn’t as much fun in this as I thought. I wouldn’t mind the walking and climbing if a fellow didn’t get tired.”
“And if you didn’t get tired you wouldn’t enjoy a rest like this.
“Do you remember,” he continued, “how Simon Kenton used to say at our house that no man could know what a good night’s sleep is unless he sat up one or two nights beforehand. I suppose there’s something in that, though we don’t have to try it on ourselves. I know that water doesn’t taste one-half so good unless you are as thirsty as you can be. It seems to me, Victor, that it’s time we bagged some game.
“We haven’t bagged much,” George added; “Mul-tal-la got an elk9 yesterday; Deerfoot brought down an antelope10; I shot a turkey, and you came pretty near hitting a buffalo11 that was several yards off.”
“Came pretty near hitting him!” repeated Victor, with fine scorn. “I hit him fairly, and you know it, but these buffaloes12 have hard heads, like some persons I know.”
“Then you shouldn’t aim at their heads. Other people don’t, and it’s time you learned better.”
“I don’t know any relative of mine that is too old to learn a good many things,” replied Victor, without a spark of ill-nature.
“That sounds as if you mean me. I’ll own up that Deerfoot and I are liable to make mistakes now and then, but I don’t quite think either of us would run from a wounded antelope and keep up a yelling that could be heard a mile off.”
“It is sometimes a wise thing to run; you see it tempts13 your game to follow and brings him within range.”
“Where is the need of that when he must have been in range at the time you wounded him?”
“But couldn’t he turn and make off in another direction and get beyond reach before you could load again? I tell you, George, there was science in what I did. I advise you to try the same trick when you have a chance, and then”——
A peculiar14 hog-like grunt15 caused both to look behind them. The sight that met their gaze was enough to terrify a veteran hunter. Hardly a hundred feet away stood the most gigantic grizzly17 bear of which they had ever dreamed. They had listened spellbound to the story of Mul-tal-la, but believed that the panic he underwent at the time of his encounter with one of those western terrors caused him to exaggerate his account, though it must have been a fearful brute18 that could have wrought19 the havoc20 he did.
A Western Monarch21.
This bear had his hind16 feet on the ground and his front ones on a boulder2, so that his massive back sloped downward from his head, and he was looking at the boys as if speculating as to what species they belonged. His size was tremendous. To the lads he seemed to be three or four times the bulk of any of his kind they had met in the forests of Ohio or Kentucky. It is not improbable that the estimate of the brothers was right. You know that the grizzly bear (which the early explorers referred to as a white bear) is now, as he has been from time immemorial, the monarch of the western wilds. So prodigious22 are his size and strength that he is absolutely without fear.
And he is justified23 in this self-confidence. One stroke of that mighty24 paw, whose claws are often six inches in length, will break the back of a horse or tear a man to shreds25, and enveloping26 his victim in those beam-like front legs, he will crush him to pulp27 without putting forth28 more than a tithe29 of his power. A score of bullets have been pumped into that immense carcass without causing any apparent harm. The Rocky Mountain grizzly saves the hunter the trouble of attacking him. It is the bear himself who starts things moving and keeps them going at a lively rate. The advice of the most experienced ranger30 of the wilds is that if a man is alone and without an inaccessible31 perch32 from which to shoot, he should not disturb the grizzly. This advice is equally good for two persons, and would not be inappropriate for three in most circumstances.
It may be doubted whether the entire West at the time of which I am writing contained a more colossal33 grizzly bear than the one upon which George and Victor Shelton gazed when they turned their heads. His bulk was so immense that they recognized him on the instant as the dreaded34 brute of which they had heard more than one terrifying story.
Why he did not advance upon the lads at once is not easy to explain. It probably was because the whim36 did not come to him, or he may have looked upon the couple as too insignificant37 for notice. It is not unlikely that curiosity had something to do with it, for no doubt they were the first examples of the Caucasian race that he had seen, though he must have met Indians and may have crushed an indefinite number to death.
The strange spectacle was presented for the next few minutes of the boys staring at the monster, while he stared back at them, no one moving or making any sound. George and Victor were literally38 paralyzed for the time and unable to stir or speak.
Victor was the first to rally. Forgetting the warnings of Deerfoot and Mul-tal-la, he sprang to his feet, faced wholly around, and brought his gun to his shoulder.
“What a splendid shot!” he exclaimed. “See me tumble him over!”
But George remembered the words of their dusky friends, and, knowing the fatal folly39 of what Victor was about to do, protested.
“Don’t you do it! He’ll kill us both!”
In his fright Victor was cool. He took deliberate aim, and while the words were in the mouth of his brother pressed the trigger. The report and act threw George into an irrestrainable panic, and bounding to his feet he dashed off at the utmost speed. Across gullies, over and around rocks, threshing through undergrowth, he sped, not daring to look around and hardly conscious of what he was doing. He forgot the peril40 of Victor in his panic until he had run several hundred yards, when, realizing what he was doing, he abruptly41 stopped and looked back.
He had gone so far that he saw neither the bear nor Victor, and he began picking his way to the spot, shivering with dread35, and expecting each moment to come upon the mangled42 remains43 of his brother.
Meanwhile Victor had a remarkable44 experience. Had he not been so impulsive45 by nature, and had he been given a few moments for reflection, he would have let the brute alone; but, as I have shown, he fired straight at him. More than that, he hit him. In accordance with the almost invariable rule in such circumstances the grizzly should have swept down upon him like a cyclone46. Instead of that he slowly swung his front around, dropped to his natural posture47 on the ground, and began lumbering48 away.
Incredible as it may seem, he probably was not aware that he had served as a target for an American youth. He must have been conscious of the landing of the bullet somewhere about his anatomy49, but the matter was too trifling50 to disturb him. The annoyance51 from mosquitoes was more serious, especially when they attacked his eyes. In Alaska these pests often blind the bears by their persistent52 assaults, and the miserable53 brutes54 wander aimlessly around until they starve to death.
Even Victor Shelton was puzzled by the action of the grizzly. It would not have been so strange to him had the quadruped rolled over and died, for that would have indicated that a lucky shot had been made; but that he should turn and make off was more than the youth could understand. He would have believed the bear had been frightened had he not recalled the accounts of Mul-tal-la, which showed the impossibility of such a thing.
In one respect Victor displayed wisdom. Without stirring from the spot he carefully reloaded his gun, keeping a lookout55 all the time for the return of the monster. He had caught sight of the mountainous, shaggy bulk as it swung through the undergrowth, which was trampled56 down as if it were so much grass, and then disappeared. Would he come back?
While the lad was debating the question he heard the sound of some one approaching from the other direction. Turning, his eyes met those of his white-faced brother, who seemed to find it hard to believe that he saw Victor alive and unharmed.
“Where’s the bear?” gasped57 George, when he could master his emotions.
“Why didn’t you wait and see me shoot him?” asked Victor loftily.
“It can’t be you killed him.”
“He may live a few minutes longer, but I guess he’s gone off to die by himself. You know wild animals don’t like to have spectators when they give their last kick.”
“It can’t be,” said George as if to himself; “you couldn’t have hit him.”
“Then what made him leave so suddenly? Tell me that.”
“I don’t know; I never saw one of them before; but why didn’t he attack us? This bear is a bigger one than Mul-tal-la ever met, and it couldn’t be he was afraid of us.”
“Not of us—of course not, for only one of us held his ground, and I don’t think his name is George Shelton, but he saw I was here; he took one good squint58 at me, and things looked so squally he decided59 to leave.”
The complacency and self-pride of Victor were warranted, provided they rested upon a sure basis; that would soon be known. Few living woodmen have ever driven off a grizzly bear by a single shot, and it seems beyond the range of possibility for the feat60 to be performed by a boy.
Victor peered in all directions, and seeing nothing of the monster, turned and proceeded to “rub it in” with his brother.
“Let me see, George, you were saying something a little while ago about a fellow that you saw run away from the charge of an antelope.”
George knew what was coming and rallied to “repel boarders.”
“Yes; I saw a great hulking youngster do that very thing. You will find it hard to believe anyone could show such cowardice61, but Mul-tal-la was with me, and he’ll tell you it is true.”
“Do you think that the chap, who no doubt was trying to lure62 the antelope to his destruction, made better time than you did when you deserted63 me at sight of this big bear?”
“There may not have been much difference in the speed of the two, but you see the case is different. One boy ran from an animal that is as harmless as a rabbit, while the other fled from a beast that would have sent a half-dozen veterans flying, even though they had loaded rifles in their hands.”
“But I stood my ground.”
“Because you didn’t know any better. You were too scared to run.”
“But not too scared to shoot and hit the game. Folks generally say that the fellow who runs away is frightened and not the one who keeps his place and sends a bullet right into the face of the danger. What do you think of it, George?”
“I have already told you what I think. Let us leave the question to Mul-tal-la and Deerfoot to settle when we go back to camp.”
But Victor, unaware64 that the Shawanoe had heard the story long before from the Blackfoot, was unwilling65 to have it brought to his knowledge. He knew he cut a sorry figure when fleeing from the frantic66 antelope, and he did not like to hear references to it. He would prefer to appear ridiculous in the eyes of any person in the world rather than in those of the young Shawanoe. He saw his chance and used it.
“I’ll agree to say nothing about this if you don’t talk about antelopes67 when Deerfoot is around. Are you willing?”
Before George Shelton could refuse or give assent68 the conversation was broken in upon in the most startling manner.
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1
bracing
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| adj.令人振奋的 | |
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2
boulder
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| n.巨砾；卵石，圆石 | |
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boulders
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| n.卵石( boulder的名词复数 )；巨砾；（受水或天气侵蚀而成的）巨石；漂砾 | |
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obstructions
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| n.障碍物( obstruction的名词复数 )；阻碍物；阻碍；阻挠 | |
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descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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ridges
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| n.脊( ridge的名词复数 )；山脊；脊状突起；大气层的)高压脊 | |
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brooks
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| n.小溪( brook的名词复数 ) | |
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draught
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| n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计 | |
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9
elk
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| n.麋鹿 | |
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antelope
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| n.羚羊；羚羊皮 | |
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buffalo
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| n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛 | |
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buffaloes
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| n.水牛（分非洲水牛和亚洲水牛两种）( buffalo的名词复数 )；（南非或北美的）野牛；威胁；恐吓 | |
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13
tempts
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| v.引诱或怂恿（某人）干不正当的事( tempt的第三人称单数 )；使想要 | |
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14
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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15
grunt
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| v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝 | |
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16
hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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grizzly
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| adj.略为灰色的，呈灰色的；n.灰色大熊 | |
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brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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havoc
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| n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱 | |
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monarch
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| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
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prodigious
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| adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的 | |
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23
justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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shreds
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| v.撕碎，切碎( shred的第三人称单数 )；用撕毁机撕毁（文件） | |
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enveloping
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的现在分词 ) | |
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pulp
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| n.果肉，纸浆；v.化成纸浆，除去...果肉，制成纸浆 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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tithe
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| n.十分之一税；v.课什一税，缴什一税 | |
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ranger
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| n.国家公园管理员，护林员；骑兵巡逻队员 | |
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inaccessible
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| adj.达不到的，难接近的 | |
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perch
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| n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于 | |
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colossal
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| adj.异常的，庞大的 | |
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dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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36
whim
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| n.一时的兴致，突然的念头；奇想，幻想 | |
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insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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39
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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40
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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41
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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42
mangled
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| vt.乱砍（mangle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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43
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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44
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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45
impulsive
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| adj.冲动的，刺激的；有推动力的 | |
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46
cyclone
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| n.旋风，龙卷风 | |
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47
posture
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| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
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lumbering
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| n.采伐林木 | |
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49
anatomy
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| n.解剖学，解剖；功能，结构，组织 | |
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50
trifling
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| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
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51
annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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52
persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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53
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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54
brutes
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| 兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性 | |
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55
lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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56
trampled
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| 踩( trample的过去式和过去分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
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57
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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58
squint
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| v. 使变斜视眼, 斜视, 眯眼看, 偏移, 窥视; n. 斜视, 斜孔小窗; adj. 斜视的, 斜的 | |
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59
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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61
cowardice
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| n.胆小，怯懦 | |
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62
lure
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| n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引 | |
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63
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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64
unaware
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| a.不知道的，未意识到的 | |
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65
unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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66
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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67
antelopes
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| 羚羊( antelope的名词复数 )； 羚羊皮革 | |
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assent
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| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 | |
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