CHAPTER II
AN EXCITING CHASE
For a single instant the boys stood motionless and silent, stupefiedby the sudden apparition. Then, as though shocked by a galvanicbattery, they woke to life.
"Quick!" shouted Bob. "To the bungalow! It's our only chance!"
Like a flash he was off, followed by his comrades. Even Jimmy's feetseemed winged, and they reached the porch in record time.
Frantically Bob grasped the knob of the front door. The door waslocked. He threw himself against it, but his weight was notsufficient, and although the door groaned it refused to yield. Heglanced at his comrades, surrounding him in a panting group, and thenat the bear. The latter was still coming, and seemed to have increasedhis speed.
The roof of the veranda was supported by half a dozen wooden pillars.
"Shin up these!" shouted Bob, throwing his arms and legs about one andsetting the example.
In a trice they were all climbing desperately. Fortunately they hadnot far to go, for the roof of the veranda was not high. But they feltas though they were in a nightmare, and although they were reallymaking surprisingly good time, it seemed as though they would neverget to the top.
Bob reached there first and swung himself over the roof. Not waiting amoment to rest, he rushed over to the post that Jimmy had chosen,reached over his hand and caught one of Jimmy's wrists. There was amad scramble and then Jimmy lay on the roof, gasping.
Joe and Herb needed no help, as they had reached the roof only asecond later than Bob.
For the moment at least they were safe, and they sat panting andtrying to get their breath.
And while with fast-beating hearts they are wondering how they are toescape from the monster below them, it may be well, for the benefit ofthose who have not read the preceding volumes of this series, to tellwho the radio boys were and what had been their adventures up to thetime this story opens.
Bob Layton was the son of a prosperous chemist who was a leadingcitizen of the town of Clintonia, a wideawake, thriving, little citywith a population of about ten thousand. The town was located on thebanks of the Shagary River, and was about seventy-five miles from NewYork. Bob, at the time these incidents occurred, was in his sixteenthyear. He was tall and well built, of rather dark complexion and frank,merry eyes that always looked straight at one. He was good in hisstudies and a leader in athletic sports among boys of his own age. Hehad a firm, decided character, and was always at his best in anemergency that demanded cool thinking and quick action.
His closest friend was Joe Atwood, whose father was a physician with alarge practice. Joe was fair in complexion, while Bob was dark, andthey differed in more than mere physical qualities. Joe had a fierytemper and was apt to speak or act first and think afterward, and Bobmany times served as a brake on the impulsive temperament of hisfriend.
Herb Fennington was a year younger than Bob and Joe, and of a moreindolent, easy-going disposition. He was full of fun and jokes andnobody could long have the blues when Herb was about.
A fourth member of the group was Jimmy Plummer, whose father was acarpenter and contractor and a highly respected citizen of the town.Jimmy was fat, red-faced and good-natured, with a special partialityfor the good things of life. He had gained the nickname of"Doughnuts," because of his fondness for that famous product of thekitchen, and did his best to deserve the name.
Besides the liking that drew the boys together, there was an addedlink in their interest in radio, which by its wonders had taken a firmhold on their youthful imaginations. In delving into the mysteries ofthis new and fascinating science, they had been greatly assisted bythe kindly help afforded them by the Reverend Doctor Dale, the pastorof the Old First Church of Clintonia. His suggestions had been ofimmense value in helping them to master the elements of the science,and whenever they got into a quandary they had no hesitation inappealing to him for help that was never refused.
What gave the boys an added stimulus was the offer by the member ofCongress for the district in which Clintonia was situated of prizesfor the best radio sets made by the boys themselves. The contest wasopen to all the boys residing in the Congressional district, and Bob,Joe, and Jimmy entered into it with enthusiasm. Herb, with his naturalindolence, did not go into the competition and was sorry afterwardthat he had not. The first prize was a hundred dollars, and thesecond, fifty. To the boys this seemed a whole lot of money and wellworth the winning.
It was hard work though, and made the harder by the obstacles put intheir way by Buck Looker, the bully of the town, assisted by Carl Lutzand Terry Mooney, two of his cronies almost as worthless as himself.Buck tried to wreck Bob's aerial and got a richly deserved thrashingin consequence. Later on the trio tried to steal Jimmy's set, but theradio boys got it back in a way that brought a good deal ofdiscomfiture to the Looker crowd.
While the radio sets were in the making, an exciting incident occurredin town that drew the boys into a series of adventures. An automobilerunning wild and dashing through the windows of a paint and hardwarestore in the town gave Bob and Joe an opportunity to rescue theoccupant, a Miss Nellie Berwick, and to learn her story of having beenswindled out of some property by a rascal. How by the means of radiothey got on the track of the scoundrel and forced him to makerestitution, how they overcame all the machinations of their enemiesand came out ahead in the competition, is told in the first volume ofthis series, entitled: "The Radio Boys' First Wireless; Or, Winningthe Ferberton Prize."
Shortly after Bob had won the first prize and Joe the second, theradio boys went down to Ocean Point on the seacoast to spend thesummer. A colony had been established there by several of theClintonia families, including those of the radio boys, and they hadgreat fun on the beach and in the surf. Here too they made markedadvances in their knowledge of radio, in which they were greatlyhelped by Brandon Harvey, the wireless operator at the Ocean Pointsending station. How they repaid this by pursuing and capturing theman who had assaulted him and looted the safe at the station, whatexciting adventures they met with in the pursuit and capture, howtheir knowledge of radio enabled them to send help to a ship in perilon which their own families were voyaging, are told in the secondvolume of this series, entitled: "The Radio Boys At Ocean Point; Or,The Message that Saved the Ship."
Their summer at Ocean Point was further marked by a gallant rescue oftwo young vaudeville performers who had been run down by recklessthieves in a stolen motor boat. How they finally brought these men tojustice, how they managed to bring congenial employment to a crippledfriend, and how in doing this they found scope for their own talentsin the fascinating work of radio broadcasting, are told in the thirdvolume of this series entitled: "The Radio Boys At the SendingStation; Or, Making Good in the Wireless Room."
And now to return to the boys, who found themselves in the woods onthe roof of the porch of the cottage where they had taken refuge fromthe pursuit of the bear.
That refuge promised to be only a temporary one and exceedinglyprecarious. The roof was none too strongly built in the first place,and had fallen into decay from stress of weather and lack of repairs.Already there was an ominous creaking as it sagged crazily under theweight of the four boys.
Beneath them was the bear, who looked up at them, his jaws slaveringand his little red eyes flaming. He was an enormous beast, capable oftearing any one of them in pieces if he once got them within hisclutches.
"If we only had a gun!" groaned Bob, as a terrifying rumbling camefrom the throat of the bear.
"I'd rather have a stick of dynamite to throw at his feet and blow himinto kingdom come," muttered Joe, as he gingerly shifted his positionto find a more solid support than the part of the roof that wassagging under him.
"'If wishes were horses, beggars might ride,'" remarked Herb. "Thequestion is what are we going to do?"
"Seems to me the question is what is the bear going to do?" put inJimmy.
"What he'll do is plenty," said Joe. "He's got us trapped good andproper, and the next move is up to him."
The bear himself seemed to be in something of a quandary as to whatthat next move was to be. He paced clumsily up and down before theveranda while he was making up his mind. But to the boys' dismay therewas no sign that he was inclined to relinquish the prey that was sonearly within his reach.
Finally he seemed to come to a decision. He moved from one to theother of the pillars supporting the veranda roof, sniffing at each asif calculating which was the strongest. Then to the horror of the boyshe threw his paws about one of the pillars and commenced to climb.
"He's coming up!" cried Bob, and even as he spoke they could see theshaggy hair of the beast's head come in sight on a level with theporch roof. "Up on the other roof, fellows! Maybe he can't follow usthere."
The roof of the house proper extended over the side and front of thesecond story and there were several protruding points that offeredsupport to the feet and hands. In addition there were shutters to thewindows, the tops of which reached nearly to the roof.
There was a wild scramble for whatever support came nearest to hand.How the boys did it they could not for the life of them rememberafterwards, but somehow, with the spur given to them by the knowledgethat the bear was close behind, they got up on the roof of the house,their clothes torn and their fingers bruised and bleeding.
"Let's go along the roof toward the back of the house," panted Joe."There may be an extension kitchen there on which we can drop and thenfrom there to the ground. It may not be so easy for the bear to getdown after us as it has been to get up."
They followed this suggestion at once and made their way as rapidly aspossible across the shaky roof. It would have been more prudent ofthem to have left some interval between them, but they were so excitedthat they did not think of that and crowded close on one another'sheels.
Suddenly a shout rose from Bob.
"Back, fellows!" he cried. "The roof's caving in!"
But the warning came too late. There was an ominous cracking andsplintering, and then with a roar a section of the roof collapsed,carrying the boys down with it.