CHAPTER XIV.
THE GREAT BEARS OF KADIAK.
This appeared to be only too true. The bears, so far as the boys couldobserve through their peephole, were thin and famished from the longwinter they had spent in some cave back in the mountains, and intendedprobably to remain camped by the creek as long as the salmon wererunning.
Having finished his meal, the father bear lay down and rolled over insleep, while the mother and cub set about catching some more fish,which they devoured. But instead of going to sleep as the boys hoped,the old mother kept herself on sentry duty. Once or twice they caughther looking toward the hut. It caused an uncomfortable sensation torun through them.
Luckily they had a little water in the place, although none too much.At any rate it would not satisfy more than their immediate needs. Forfood there were a few crackers, the remains of the salmon that theyhad broiled for breakfast, a few fragments of tinned beef and that wasall. The situation was about as serious as it could well be. All thatafternoon they took turns watching the creek, awaiting an opportunityto sally forth after water. But the bears remained as if they meant totake up permanent quarters there.
The question of how they were to make their escape began to be aserious one with the practically imprisoned boys. The door of the hutopened toward the creek and to attempt egress by that way would atonce attract the attention of the monster bears, with what results theboys guessed only too well.
So the afternoon hours dragged away. Although tormented with thirst,the boys decided to refrain from drinking more than enough of theprecious water to cool their mouths. From time to time one of themwould relieve his comrade at the peephole. But the bears remainedthere as if firmly determined to stay. When the old mother bear took asnooze, either the cub or the largest of the bruins was on sentryduty.
"If only we had some rifles," sighed Tom. "This is a lesson to me aslong as we are in this country, I'll never leave ship or camp againwithout a weapon of some sort."
"Wait till we get back to the ship or to a camp," scoffed Jack; "it'smy belief that we will be prisoners here till winter."
"Nonsense," said Tom sharply. "You ought to be ashamed of yourself,Jack Dacre, for talking like that. It's no use giving way to despair.Maybe we'll hit on some way of getting out before long."
"Not unless those bears change their minds and go back to their happymountain home," said Jack positively.
They sat in silence for a while.
"If it would only get dark up here like it does in more southerlylatitudes, we could take a chance on sneaking down to the dory andgetting away to some other part of the coast," said Tom at length.
"Couldn't we make it anyhow?" inquired Sandy.
Tom shook his head.
"I don't see how. The minute we came out of the hut one of the bearswould be bound to see us and take after us. They can run mighty fast,too, in spite of their clumsy forms."
Another silence ensued. All the boys were thinking hard, from time totime approaching the peephole to watch the bears.
"We might as well eat, I guess," said Tom at length.
The embers of the fire were still alive and fresh wood was piled ontill there was a cheerful blaze. The boys warmed their salmon aboveit and fell to on what was the gloomiest meal they had ever eaten. Inthe middle of his supper, Jack got up and went to the peephole. Heturned from it with a face full of alarm.
"The wind has carried the smoke down toward the bears and they aresniffing at it suspiciously," he announced.
"Maybe it'll drive 'em away," suggested Sandy.
"They're not mosquitoes," scoffed Jack.
"Wow! they are coming this way, Tom! What in the world shall we donow?"
"Sit tight. I don't know what else to do."
"But suppose they claw down the door?"
"In that case, our troubles will soon be over," was the brief reply.
What Jack had said was correct. The smoke drifting down on the bearshad caused them to sniff suspiciously. Hunters came to Kadiak Islandfrequently, and doubtless they knew that smoke betokened the presenceof human beings. The big bear's fur bristled angrily. He gave a lowgrowl, which was echoed by his mate.
After sniffing and listening for a few seconds the great creatures,the most formidable foes the boys had ever encountered, began slowlyto lumber up the slope from the creek toward the hut.
That they did not advance hastily made their approach even moresinister in its effect. It was as if they were in no hurry to reachthe hut, as though they realized that they could afford to take theirtime, their prey was so certain. The boys all realized, too, that whenanimals are accompanied by their young they are rendered three timesas ferocious as on ordinary occasions.
"Maybe they'll sheer off after all," suggested Tom hopefully.
But his confidence was misplaced. The bears lumbered steadily forwardtill they were wading through the tall, half dry grass that grewalmost up to the shack's sides. Then the female and the cub stopped,and the big father bruin came on to investigate. For all the worldlike some huge dog, he began sniffing around the walls at the base ofthe oven-shaped structure.
Then, all at once, in an unlucky moment, he discovered the door. Therewas quite a big crack under it, and the boys watched withhorror-struck eyes as the huge creature's sniffing and poking sent thedust on the floor of the place flying up in little clouds. Then theyheard a heavy body hurled against the door and the scratching of feetshod with claws as keen and sharp as steel chisels.
It was a thrilling moment for all of them. Jack and Sandy inparticular were badly scared. Their faces blanched and their kneesknocked. It hardly seemed possible that the door could survive theattack of the monstrous creature that assailed it. But although builtof driftwood fastened together with old iron bolts and strips of skin,the portal held its own much better than might have been expected. Itshook and trembled, but remained standing. After a while the bearappeared to tire of this method of attack and ceased.
The boys breathed more easily.
"Perhaps he'll go away now," suggested Jack.
But a glimpse through the peephole showed that the bear had nointention of doing anything of the sort. With the stubbornness of hiskind, he began pacing up and down in front of the hut, from time totime emitting a low growl.
"Looks as if he meant to keep up the campaign on these lines if ittakes all summer," said Tom with grim pleasantry.