CHAPTER XII.
THE TUG OF WAR.
Jack Dudley, being some paces in advance of Fred Greenwood, and alarmedfor him because of his greater peril, had slightly slackened his speed,for he was not the one to seek safety at the expense of his comrade. Theinstant he saw him fall he stopped short, and, wheeling about, fired atthe grizzly, and pumping a second cartridge into the chamber of hisWinchester, let fly again, both shots striking the beast, who was soclose that a miss was impossible.
It need not be said that Fred, having pitched forward on his hands andknees, did not remain thus. No hunter, even if a youth, gives up so longas there is a fighting chance for life. He instantly leaped to his feet,and a couple of bounds placed him beyond reach, for the moment, of histerrible enemy.
The bear seemed to understand who had wounded him last, and, althoughcloser to Fred than to his companion, he swerved to the left and headedfor Jack Dudley. The latter did not stay on the order of his going, butmade off at his highest speed. Brief as was the halt, it wrought acomplete change of situation. Whereas Fred had been in the greatestdanger, Jack was now thus placed, because the grizzly was closer to him.Not only that, but, ignoring the younger lad, he gave his wholeattention to Jack.
Events were going with such a rush that the boys were almost overwhelmedbefore they could help themselves. Fred supposed the bear was at hisheels until, having run a couple of rods, he glanced over his shoulderand saw the imminent peril of Jack. Then, with a thrill of alarm, he inhis turn checked his flight, and bringing his Winchester to a leveldrove a bullet into the immense head of the brute, which by that timehad received a respectable amount of lead in his carcass.
But "old Ephraim" seemed to have determined to dispose of the fugitivesin the reverse order of their ages; that is to say, having changed hisattentions to Jack Dudley, he did not mean to be diverted therefrom,even though the younger lad was showing disagreeable interest in him.
This peculiar turn of affairs gave Fred his favorable chance; and,standing motionless, he continued his miniature bombardment as fast ashe could shove the cartridges into the chamber of his weapon, aim, andfire. Surely the bullets, all of which found a lodgment somewhere in theanatomy of the monster, must have produced an effect, but they could notdivert him from his main purpose. He bore down upon the apparentlydoomed Jack Dudley as if he would not be denied.
This fact caused Fred to be thrown partly to the rear, so that theremarkable combat took the form of the grizzly pursuing one of the boys,while the other boy was pursuing the grizzly. The position of Fred,however, thus became unfavorable, for he was unable to aim at anyvulnerable portion of the creature. He continued firing into his body,but the bullets produced no perceptible effect in this fight for life.
Meanwhile the situation of Jack Dudley became perilous to the lastdegree. To stop and fire insured his certain seizure by the grizzly, whowould require but a moment to tear the life from him. Jack saw him sonear, indeed, that he did that which no person would do except in thelast extremity. He flung away his rifle, that it might not impede hisflight, and concentrated all his energies into the one effort ofrunning.
He had no time to look where he was going. He could only strive with thedesperation of despair to preserve the distance between him and hispursuer, in the faint hope that something would intervene to save him.Fred was not only firing his gun as fast as he could, but he shouted tothe bear, in the hope of diverting his attention from Jack, who couldnot keep up the unequal flight much longer.
The terrified fugitive leaped over boulders, dashed around interposingrocks, and bounded across open spaces, hardly daring to look over hisshoulder, for he knew from the sounds of pursuit that the animal was athis heels. It seemed every moment as if the prodigious paw of thegrizzly would smite him to the earth, when no human power could savehim.
Suddenly the fugitive, while dashing forward in this blind, headlongfashion, found himself confronted by the canyon with which he and Fredhad already had a memorable experience. It yawned at right angles to thecourse he was following, its width so great that it was impossible forhim to leap it at that point. But he knew there must be some such place,and he continued his flight along the side of the chasm, hunting for aspot that would permit him to reach the other bank.
He did not stop to think how this could benefit him, for it was to besupposed that if the grizzly could outrun he could also outleap him, andthe moment the fugitive landed on the further bank the brute would dothe same, without losing an inch of the advantage already gained. Infact, Jack Dudley had no time to think of anything except to run withall the vigor which nature had given him.
All at once he saw a spot where the feat looked possible. There was notime for him to turn off to gain the momentum, but, measuring theinterval with his eye, he gathered his muscles and leaped outward. Thejump was diagonal, and made under most difficult circumstances.
Who shall describe the awful thrill that shot through Jack Dudley when,at the moment of leaving the rocky edge of the rocky wall, he was surehe was about to fail in his last effort? The other margin of the canyonwall appeared to recede, and he uttered a despairing cry, certain thatthe next instant he would go spinning down the frightful abyss.
It is at such critical times that the question of life and death isoften decided by incidents so trifling that they are unnoticed. Had JackDudley retained his Winchester in his grasp he would have been lost. Itwould not have been alone the weight of the weapon, but its interferencewith the free use of his hands. As it was, the latter were untrammeled,and, though his feet missed a firm hold, he instinctively clutched thecraggy projections, and, with a supreme effort, drew himself over themargin and beyond all danger of falling back into the canyon.
And where, all this time, was old Ephraim?
The remark just made concerning the effect of trifles was shown asstrikingly in his case as in that of the fugitive. Despite his enormousweight and awkwardness of action, the grizzly without special exertioncould have made the leap that had just been exhibited before his eyeshad he been in his usual condition, but it has been shown that he hadbeen struck by several bullets. Though most of these inflicted littlemore than flesh wounds, which under the circumstances were trifling, yetothers did effective work. This was especially the case with those thatfound a lodgment in his head, which, big and tough as it was, lacked thepower of turning aside a rifle-ball, as the indurated back of analligator often does.
It is to be supposed that the enraged grizzly did not comprehend thepossible weakening of his colossal power through the effect of thesepellets, and it is quite likely that even with such weakening he wouldhave accomplished the leap of the canyon, but for the interference of anincident which cannot be considered in any other light thanprovidential.
Fred Greenwood's anguish was for his companion, whom it seemedimpossible to help, despite the desperate effort he was making to do so.He saw the grizzly lumbering after Jack, giving no heed to the shots hesent after him, but steadily gaining upon the fugitive, whose fate hungin the passing of the seconds. Fred knew what it meant when his friendabruptly changed his course and began skirting the canyon in his frantichunt for a narrower place. The bear was so close upon him for severalpaces that the terrified Fred stopped short, ceased shooting, and heldhis breath, expecting the great beast to strike down his comrade. Theyounger lad could do no more, and, staring at the two, he asked in agonythat heaven would not desert his friend.
Suddenly Jack Dudley rose like a bird in air. At the instant the monsterwas upon him he made the leap, landing on the further edge, as has beentold, and quickly scrambling upon solid foundation. Had he been tenseconds later nothing could have saved him, for the grizzly showed nomore hesitation than he in making the jump.
At the instant Fred read the brute's intention he brought his rifle tohis shoulder. Unsuspected by himself, the last cartridge in the magazineof his Winchester was in the chamber of the weapon, so that, if itfailed to help, the service of the younger lad was at an end for thetime, for it
would be all over before he could bring into use anycartridges from his belt.
To make the leap to which we have referred the grizzly changed hisposition. Until that moment he had been running straight away from Fred,but now, of necessity, he turned partly toward him. Recalling the wordsof Hank Hazletine, Fred aimed at a point just back of the foreleg, as itreached forward. The ball sped true to its aim, and entering, perhaps,the most vulnerable point of the body, did more than all the otherbullets that had found a lodging-place in the grizzly, for it inflicteda mortal wound.
It was this fact that destroyed the effort of the bear at the crisis ofits inception. The attempt already put forth carried him well beyond theside of the canyon, but it failed to land him firmly on the othermargin. His forepaws went over the top, precisely as the hands of JackDudley had done, and began a furious scratching of the flinty surface,while the hind feet clawed with equal fierceness the inner side of thewall. The brute was striving to save himself, and it is to be presumedwould have done so but for the cause named.
That last shot told the story. The shot had seriously weakened the bear,and his mighty strength was fast oozing away. His struggles grew lessvigorous, though they continued up to the last moment. Jack Dudley hadbecome aware of what was going on, and, stopping in his flight, shouted:
"Shoot him, Fred, before he can climb out!"
Fred attempted to do so, but discovered he had no more cartridges atcommand. Since the bear at best could not harm the younger, he ranforward to the side of the canyon, just behind the beast. Jack hadpaused, so that both were looking at the grizzly, whose huge head andmassive shoulders protruded above the edge of the canyon. While theylooked the head dropped from sight, followed by the forefeet, whoseclaws scratched over the flinty surface as they slipped backward.
Knowing what had occurred, Jack and Fred ran to the edge and lookeddown. They were in time to see the mountainous bulk tumbling into thevast chasm. The body maintained a horizontal posture, as in life, untilit struck a projecting point which sent it bounding against the otherside, where the impact added to the tendency of the first blow, and thebody turned over and over, like an immense log rolling down hill.Despite the gloom of the abyss the sun was shining so brightly, and wasin such a favorable position, that everything was seen withdistinctness.
Peering downward, the awed and grateful boys saw the black mass suddenlystrike the foamy waters and send the spray flying in all directions. Itdisappeared for a moment and then popped up like a rubber-ball, and wentdancing down the current toward the break in the walls which they hadvisited a brief while before.
Still silent and watching, they observed it dancing up and down with theviolence of the stream until its motion was arrested by striking anobstruction, which held it motionless. There it stayed for the remainingminutes spent in peering into the abyss.
Jack and Fred looked up and across the canyon at the same instant. Theywere directly opposite, and hardly twelve feet apart. The elder took offhis hat and called:
"Are you ready?"
"Yes," said Fred, removing his head-gear.
"All together!"
And then they swung their hats and hurrahed with the vim which, allthings considered, was justified by events. They were happy andgrateful, and neither forgot to thank, with all the fervency of hisnature, the One who had delivered them in safety from the very jaws ofdeath. No matter what other dangers might come to them, there could benone narrower or more striking than that through which they had justpassed.
"Do you intend to stay on that side of the canyon?" asked Fred.
"I don't know that there is any choice between our places, but if youfeel lonely I'll come over to your help."
"I thought you might want to pick up the gun you threw away."
Jack looked at each of his hands in turn and laughed.
"Do you know I had forgotten all about that? I don't remember havingthrown it aside."
"I saw you do it, and it was a lucky thing you did."
The two walked beside the canyon until they came to a straight place,where Jack easily made the leap and joined his friend. Then they set outto recover the Winchester, which, as matters stood, was almost beyondvalue to them.
"I can't recall the spot where I dropped it," remarked Jack, allowinghis companion to take the lead.
"I do; you and I were doing such tall running then, and for some minutesafterward, that we covered more ground than would be supposed. That'sthe spot, just ahead."
He indicated an open space, thirty or forty feet in width, lying betweena ridge of boulders, over which it was astonishing how the fugitive hadmanaged to make such good progress.
"We shall find it right there----"
Fred checked his words, for at that moment they came upon the spot hehad in mind and both swept their gaze over it. Their dismay may beimagined when they saw nothing of the Winchester.
"You must be mistaken as to the place," said Jack.
"I can't be; it was just after you had leaped down from that low boulderthat you gave your right arm a swing and away the gun went."
"Did you notice where it landed?"
"I can put my hand on the very spot."
"Do so."
Fred led the way a few paces and said:
"It was there, and nowhere else."
Jack bent over and carefully studied the earth.
"My gracious! you are right; that dent in the ground was made by thestock of my gun, and it couldn't have gone its own length further."
The space was clear for several yards, and they would have discerned asmall coin lying anywhere on it, but nothing suggesting a weapon was insight.
A momentary consternation took possession of them. Only one conclusionwas possible: some person had taken the Winchester.
"Do you suppose it was Hank, who wanted to have some fun with us?" askedFred.
Jack shook his head.
"At any other time I might believe it, but Hank isn't one to look forfun when the lives of two persons are in danger. It wasn't he."
"Who, then, could it be?"
Again Jack shook his head.
"You know there are a number of Indians hunting in this neighborhood.Some of them may have been near us, and, hearing our cries and thereports of our guns, started to find out what it meant. Coming upon myWinchester, they carried it off."
This was the most reasonable explanation they could think of, but it didnot lessen their disappointment at the loss of the indispensable weapon.
"I won't stand it!" exclaimed Jack, whose indignation was rising; "theman who took that gun must give it back!"
It was impossible to know in what direction to look for the pilferer,but the youth's long strides led him toward the break in the walls ofthe canyon where they had seen the three Indians earlier in theforenoon. Whether it was reasonable to expect to find them, or ratherthe thief, there, would be hard to say, but Jack did find the one forwhom he was looking.
Half the intervening distance was passed, when he turned his head andsaid in an excited undertone to his companion:
"He's just ahead, and as sure as I live the thief is Motoza!"
Before Fred, slightly at the rear, could gain sight of the Indian, Jackbroke into a lope and called:
"Hold on there, Motoza! You have something that belongs to me."
The dusky vagrant was alone and walking at a moderate pace from theyouth. Although he did not look around until hailed he must have knownhe was followed, but he stopped short and wheeled about with a wonderingexpression on his painted face.
There could be no mistake by Jack Dudley, for Motoza was carrying twoWinchesters, one in either hand, and a glance enabled the youth torecognize his own property.
"Howdy, brother?" asked Motoza, with the old grin on his face.
Jack was too angry to be tactful. He continued his rapid strides, and ashe drew near reached out his hand.
"Never mind how I do; give me my rifle."
But with the fingers of Jack almost on the weapon, Motoza sh
ifted hishand backward, so that the gun was held behind his body. He did notstir, but continued grinning.
"What do you mean?" demanded Jack, his face flushed, and his angergreater than before; "didn't you hear me ask for my gun?"
"Whooh! brother frow way gun--me pick him up--he mine."
"I threw it down so as to have a better chance of getting away from thegrizzly bear; I intended to pick it up again. I know you are a greatthief, Motoza, but you can't steal that Winchester from me; hand itover!"
And Jack extended his hand again; but the Sioux persisted in keeping theweapon behind him, though his own was in front, where the lad might havebeen tempted to snatch it from his grasp.
The youth was fast losing his self-command. He had learned the characterof this vagrant from Hazletine, and it was plain that he meant to retainthe valuable weapon, while Jack was equally determined he should not.
"I tell you for the last time to give me my gun! _Do you hear?_"
The demand was made in a loud voice and accompanied by a threateningstep toward the Indian, who showed no fear. The grin, however, had lefthis face, and he recoiled a step with such a tigerish expression on hisugly countenance that his assailant ought to have been warned of hisdanger. Motoza, the Sioux, was ready to commit murder for the sake ofretaining that which did not belong to him.
"Stop!" commanded Fred Greenwood, whom both seemed to have forgotten inthe flurry of the moment.
The younger was standing a little to the rear and to one side, but hisWinchester, it will be remembered, was in his hand, and was now pointedat the dusky scamp.
"Motoza, if you want to preserve that sweet countenance of yours, handthat gun to my friend before I let daylight through you!"