Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho

  CHAPTER II.

  ABOUT BEARS.

  Archie's actions indicated that he had made up his mind to fightsomething. He threw off his hat, pushed back his sleeves, and windingthe lash of his whip around his hand, raised the butt, in readiness tostrike.

  "If you don't want a headache for the rest of the day, you had betterlook out for yourself," exclaimed Frank. "You made him very angry."

  "Come in here!" cried Johnny, from the wardrobe. "There's room enoughfor another, with tight squeezing."

  "I sha'n't run a step," replied Archie. "I am in no humor for nonsensethis morning, and if Phil comes near me he will wish he hadn't."

  The door opened at this moment, and in came Mr. Winters, Mr. Harris,and Mr. Thomas, all booted and spurred, and dusty with fast riding.The last named gentleman entered the room in a very undignifiedmanner. The instant the door was opened, a half-grown bear slipped inbetween his feet, knocking them out from under him, and causing him tosit down on the animal's back very suddenly. To save himself fromfalling to the floor, Mr. Thomas seized the bear's long hair with bothhands, and was brought into the room in triumph.

  This bear was the Phil of which Archie had spoken, and the enemy thathad been keeping him and his companions in a state of siege during thelast half hour. Archie had done something Phil did not like; and hehad loitered about in the hall, awaiting an opportunity to berevenged. Now that he had got into the room, he was fierce for afight; and the boys, who had measured strength with him often enoughto know that he was a very unpleasant fellow to have about when he wasangry, thought it best to keep out of his way--all except Archie, whowas in very bad humor, and would have held his ground against a dozenPhils. The bear, accepting his determined manner and threateningattitude as a challenge to combat, rushed straight at him, and in amoment more would have held him in a very loving embrace, had not Dickseized the chain that was fastened to Phil's collar, and brought himto a standstill.

  "Put the rascal out of doors," said Mr. Winters. "The first thing youknow, he will hurt some of you boys."

  But Phil did not give any one a chance to put him out. He raisedhimself on his hind legs, tumbling off Mr. Thomas, who measured hislength on the floor, and disregarding the blows which Archie showeredupon him with his whip, sprang upon him and threw him down.

  "Pull him off, fellows," shouted Archie, who knew that the punishmentwas coming now.

  Frank jumped down from the head-board, Johnny came out of the closet,and both ran to assist Dick, who still clung manfully to the chain;but before they could reach him, Phil gave Archie a ringing slap oneach side of his head, and made good his retreat from the room. Thenext that was seen of him, he was out in the court trying to start afight with Marmion.

  THE BEAR'S REVENGE.--PAGE 24.]

  Phil was a rough play-fellow, but he was full of his tricks, alwaysready for a fight or a frolic, and he held a prominent place in theaffections of the boys, who looked upon him as a great institution;but by every one else on the rancho he was regarded as an unmitigatednuisance. One great fault with Phil was, that he was too much likesome young people. He always wanted his own way in every thing, and ifhe could not have it, he would grumble and go into the sulks. He wouldwander off by himself and pout for hours together, like a foolish boywho had been denied something his mother thought he ought not to have,sticking out his lips after the most approved fashion, and growlingand scolding to himself at a wonderful rate. On these occasions it wasnot safe to venture near him.

  Phil was an expert wrestler and boxer, and as long as he could get thebetter of his antagonist he would keep in excellent humor. He wouldnot growl or scratch him with his claws, and would always wait tillhe got a fair hold before he made any attempt to throw him down. Butwhen he met his match, as he always did whenever he interfered withFrank, there would be trouble directly. When Phil found that he couldnot throw him, he would growl and get mad; and then there was always afight or a foot-race. The boys generally thought it best to run whenhe was thoroughly aroused, for he was considerably larger than aNewfoundland dog, his teeth and claws were sharp, his paws heavy, andhe used them in good earnest.

  Phil was as treacherous as an Indian. Whenever a stranger visited therancho, he would run to meet him, rub himself against his legs, turnsummersaults for his amusement, and try, by every means in his power,to show that he was glad to see him; and all this while he would bewatching for an opportunity to play a trick upon him. He would sneakaround behind him, and if the visitor did not keep his eyes open, thefirst thing he knew his heels would fly up, and he would sit down uponthe ground in a great hurry.

  Another bad trait in Phil's character was, that he never forgot aninjury. He always avenged a wrong done him, and if he could not get atthe guilty party, he would take satisfaction on some one else. Many atime, when Frank turned him loose in the morning, was he obliged tostand punishment for something Archie had done to him the nightbefore. Phil, catching him off his guard, would trip him up, box hisears, and run off to escape the consequences; and the next time Frankmet him he would be as friendly as ever, unless some one had beenteasing him in the meantime. He seemed to cherish unbounded affectionfor Frank (that is, when he was in good humor), but he disliked Archieas much as Marmion did; and he had good cause to be angry at him onthis particular morning. Archie had been unreasonably cross and uglyever since his horse was stolen; and when the bear came up and greetedhim in a friendly manner, by putting his paw on his shoulder, Archie,by taking some unfair advantage of him, succeeded in throwing himdown, and cramming a handful of grass into his mouth; and that was anindignity that Phil would not submit to. He flew into a terriblerage, and the boys, knowing that something unpleasant would happen ifPhil succeeded in getting his paws on any of them, ran into theirroom, and fastened all the doors and windows. The bear followed, andafter trying in vain to effect an entrance through one of theport-holes, took his stand in the hall, and waited for them to comeout. When Mr. Winters and his companions entered the room, he went inwith them, and squared accounts with Archie, by boxing his ears sosoundly that he had a headache all the rest of the day.

  Uncle James and Mr. Harris laughed at Mr. Thomas, and the boys smiledbehind their handkerchiefs. Mr. Thomas made some very uncomplimentaryremarks about bears in general, and Phil in particular, and helpinghimself to a chair, resumed the conversation which this littleincident had interrupted.

  "It will be of no use, Mr. Winters," said he, "for it has been triedalready. He has been chased with dogs, caught in traps, and shot atnumberless times; but he is to-day as lively and full of mischief ashe was a year ago. He is bound to die a natural death."

  Mr. Thomas was speaking of the bear which had so often robbed UncleJames's cow-pen, and after the boys had listened for a few minutes tothe conversation that followed, they learned that this pest hadvisited the rancho again during the previous night, and walked offwith a fine calf, for which Mr. Winters had refused a hundred dollarsa few days before. More than that, he had got into a trap which hadbeen made especially for him, but had succeeded in working his wayout. This same trap had caught and held two good-sized bears, whichhad tried their best to escape, but it was not strong enough toconfine him. He had tumbled the logs about in every direction, andmade off with the bait with which the trap was set.

  This bear was a well-known character in that section of thecountry--as well known as Mr. Winters himself. He was called "OldDavy;" and this name had been given to him to distinguish him from afew other old settlers of the same species; but these had been killedoff, one after another, and now Old Davy was left alone. Those who hadseen him, described him as a monster animal, fully as large as twoordinary bears. He could be recognized by a large bald spot on hisforehead, which was, doubtless, the scar of a wound received duringsome of his numerous battles, and his track could be distinguishedfrom those of other bears by the peculiar shape of the print left byone of his hind feet. A portion of the foot had either been shot away,or lost during a conflict with dogs, and the track made by th
iswounded member, showed only the claws and the ball of the foot. Butthis did not interfere with Old Davy's traveling, or his fighting,either. He could wander over a good portion of the county in a night,and had, more than once, demonstrated his ability to whip all the dogsthat could get around him. Between him and the horse-thieves, thefarmers had lost many a dollar.

  When Old Davy and his exploits had been thoroughly discussed, Mr.Winters told his nephews why he had come in there. He was on the pointof starting for San Diego, to be gone three or four days; and hewanted the boys to manage affairs during his absence. "There is notmuch to be done," said he, with a laugh, "but if you can manage toshoot Old Davy and catch those horse-thieves while I am gone, I shouldbe delighted."

  The boys told themselves that they had not the slightest intention ofgoing within a mile of Old Davy. If men like Dick Lewis and Bob Kelly,who had hunted grizzly bears all their lives, could not kill him, theycertainly had no business with him. And as for the horse-thieves, theywere, doubtless, a band of desperadoes, who used their revolvers orbowie-knives upon any one who came in their way, and the boys werequite sure that they would let them alone also. But, after all, theyhad a good deal to do with the horse-thieves, and with Old Davy also.Some exciting events happened in the settlement during the next fewhours, and when Uncle James returned from San Diego, he was moreastonished than he was when he listened to Frank's story of his firstencounter with Pierre Costello.