They Were In
Search Of Deer, When Suddenly A Huge Grizzly Bear Emerged From A
Thicket About Thirty Yards Distant, Rearing Himself Upon His Hind
Legs With A Terrific Growl, And Displaying A Hideous Array Of
Teeth And Claws.
The rifle of the young man was leveled in an
instant, but John Day's iron hand was as quickly upon his arm.
"Be quiet, boy!
Be quiet!" exclaimed the hunter between his
clenched teeth, and without turning his eyes from the bear. They
remained motionless. The monster regarded them for a time, then,
lowering himself on his fore paws, slowly withdrew. He had not
gone many paces, before he again returned, reared himself on his
hind legs, and repeated his menace. Day's hand was still on the
arm of his young companion; he again pressed it hard, and kept
repeating between his teeth, "Quiet, boy! - keep quiet! - keep
quiet!" -though the latter had not made a move since his first
prohibition. The bear again lowered himself on all fours,
retreated some twenty yards further, and again turned, reared,
showed his teeth, and growled. This third menace was too much for
the game spirit of John Day. "By Jove!" exclaimed he, "I can
stand this no longer," and in an instant a ball from his rifle
whizzed into his foe. The wound was not mortal; but, luckily, it
dismayed instead of enraged the animal, and he retreated into the
thicket.
Day's companion reproached him for not practicing the caution
which he enjoined upon others.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 286 of 615
Words from 77149 to 77400
of 165649
