CHAPTER XVIII
A HARD CUSTOMER
"That's bound to settle it, one way or the other!" declared Tom, afterhe had climbed up into his tree again, and resumed his former positionof squatting in a crotch, gun in hand.
"You mean about his being home, or away I reckon?" remarked Felix, whowas feeling fifty per cent easier in his mind, now that his chum hadcarried out his little programme without being rushed by the bear.
"That's the idea," replied the other, keeping his eyes on the spot wherethe fire he had kindled was burning fairly well.
"Plenty of smoke, if there is only a little flame," observed Felix.
"I wanted it that way; and so I picked out some green stuff that wouldmake a whole lot of smell, but not burn too lively, you see, Felix."
"Whee! I got a whiff of it right then; and say, if our friend is athome, and can stand that smell, why, he's welcome to stay where he isthe rest of the winter, for all of me. It beats anything I everwhiffed," and the Eastern boy held his fingers to his nose whilespeaking, to emphasize his words.
Tom grinned, as if he really felt proud of that fire. A hot blaze wouldhave caused very little smoke; and after all might not have accomplishedthe end they had in view.
"Wait!" he said, with a chuckle; "you'll see."
A few more minutes passed. Felix noticed several things, for he had cometo pay considerable more attention to small matters than before meetingthis cousin who had been brought up in the open, and imbibed many of theinstincts that govern the actions of Indians and veteran woodsmen, amongwhich observation stands at the head.
He saw, for instance, that the breeze was blowing straight toward theface of the cliff where that hole lay; and as it came in rather stronggusts now and then, it undoubtedly served to carry pretty much all ofthe pungent, highly scented smoke into the yawning aperture.
And Felix also knew that it would drive this odor a long way ahead intothe recesses of the cave. If Bruin were at home, he could not helpgetting a whiff of it presently, and smoke always serves to make a bearboth suspicious and angry. Where shouts of derision, and the singing ofsongs had failed, a more silent and powerful agency would succeed.
And it did.
One, two, three more minutes passed away. Then Felix heard somethingthat gave him a thrill, and caused him to turn quickly in the directionof his comrade, perched in the adjoining tree.
Tom nodded his head, and simply remarked:
"What did I tell you? That fetched him; and he's waking up!"
It had undoubtedly been a rumbling roar that came to the ears of the twoboys. Bruin had at last become aware of the fact that there was smokerolling into his snug retreat; and instinct warned him that smoke nevercame without there being some sort of fire in connection with it.
Again they heard the heavy thrilling sound, and it was now more distinctthan before, which told them that the grizzly must be advancinghurriedly toward the opening. Doubtless this was the only exit he had;and alarmed lest he be caught in a trap by the fire, he was nowshambling along, bent upon seeking the open air before it was too late.
"Ready!" called Tom.
Hardly had he spoken than Felix saw the smouldering stuff at the mouthof the cliff den thrown violently aside, as a huge bulk almost filledthe hole. Then there came into view the very largest grizzly Tom hadever seen, as he hastened to declare, with boyish vigor.
"Wow! but ain't he just a jim dandy, though? Big as a house nearly; andsay, did you ever see a madder thing in all your life. He hears metalking right now, because he's looking this way. Bet you his eyes arethat full of smoke he can't see as well as he might, and he's rubbin''em with his paws, would you believe it? Hey! you, we made that fire!What d'ye mean upsetting it that way? Think you own the earth, don'tyou? Well, come on, and have it out with us. Dare you to knock the chipoff my shoulder! Bah! you're nothing but a big bag of wind! Who caresfor you?"
Just as though the grizzly could really understand what Tom howled athim, he immediately started toward the trees where they were ensconced.
"Oh! my, ain't he mad as hops, though?" jeered Tom. "Look at him shakehis head, would you, Felix? He knows we did it, and he means to let usunderstand he won't put up with such a racket as smoking him out. Now,don't be in too big a hurry to start firing. Take my word for it, you'llhave plenty of chances to fill him up with lead before he caves under.Shake the limb, and holler at him, if you want him to pay attention toyou."
That was just what Felix did want. He was afraid that the bear wouldknow Tom had started the fire, and ignore the other boy. So he toocommenced to taunt the old fellow, as boys know how to do so well.
The result was just as Tom had predicted; for having his attention thusdiverted, the bear now changed his course a little, and came directlytoward the tree that bore such strange fruit in the shape of the secondhuman enemy.
What the grizzly thought, at being so rudely disturbed in hisafter-dinner nap by all this shouting, and the smell of smoke in hisden, Felix could only guess, for by his actions alone could the animaltell.
There certainly could hardly have been a madder bear than that one was.He acted as though bent upon teaching these impudent boys a much neededlesson. When they felt like playing any of their annoying tricks, theyhad better keep away from his particular sleeping place, if they did notwant to get hurt.
"Get one in before he reaches your tree!" called out Tom; who seemed toknow what the tactics of the grizzly would be after this had occurred,and that possibly Felix might not be able to fire with such sure aim,once his haven of refuge were being violently shaken, as it would be.
So the Eastern boy, who had all along kept his Marlin leveled at theadvancing grizzly, sought to aim in a vulnerable spot; or at least whatwould be reckoned as such with any other wild animal than a grizzly oran African rhinoceros.
When he fired he heard the most dreadful roar that ever assailed hisears. But to his surprise, the bear did not stop his advance in theslightest degree, no matter how the small bullet "mushroomed" when itcame in contact with his body.
Felix hastily got his gun in shape to shoot again, and this he was ableto do before the animal succeeded in reaching the tree.
Another roar, more wicked than the preceding one, told that this bullethad also lodged in the body of the fierce brute; but as before, itfailed to have any appreciable effect on the grizzly, save to arouse hisslumbering passions the more.
"Hold on tight, now, Felix!" shrilled Tom, no doubt itching to use hisgun, and ready to do so if he thought the situation began to lookdesperate for his chum. "He's going to try and shake you out of thattree like a wild plum! Get a firm grip and don't try to shoot yetawhile, till he quits!"
The big animal reared up on his hind quarters, and as he did so Felixcould see signs of blood about him, which told that his bullets had notmissed connections, even if they did not bring him down.
The beast endeavored to reach the form of the boy, whom instinct toldhim was responsible for his wounds; because he connected that puff ofsmoke, and sharp report, with the acute pain that racked him.
Of course Felix was perched too far up in the tree for that, and themost the eager grizzly could do was to come within six feet of him.
Then the monster hugged the tree as though about to try and ascend.Indeed, the boy above felt a spasm of fear lest this was just what hemeant to attempt; and as he had seen black bears climb, he found it hardwork to believe that the grizzly was deficient in this accomplishment.
All at once the tree began to sway violently to and fro, with increasingspeed. Having been warned in time, Felix had secured himself againstbeing thrown out, although at one time he began to actually fear lestthe savage monster below might succeed in breaking the tree off at itsbase; he was so big and powerful that few things of an ordinary naturewould be beyond his capacity. And now that he was enraged to the verylimit, doubtless he might accomplish wonders.
But fortunately that did not happen, and Felix breathed a sigh of reliefwhen, after testing his
strength for a minute or two, the grizzly backedoff, to look up at him out of his wicked little eyes, and growl as hedropped back upon all fours again.
"Bully boy!" shouted Tom. "He wanted too, all right, but he couldn'tquite spell able. Now, try him again, Felix; and watch out for one ofhis rushes. Quit shooting when he tries that racket, and just hold on.You can wear the old critter out; and say, that gun does send 'em inlike fun. I could see him quiver all over each time you pulled trigger.But you'll get him yet, don't fear!"
Just as Tom said that last word Felix fired a third time, trying to pickout a better place to send his bullet. Truth to tell he was more thananxious to finish the game old bear, which he knew must be sufferinghorribly already.
Although he was confident that he planted his lead in the identical spothe wanted, still the only appreciable effect was to send the monsterfuriously at the tree again.
Never did Felix expect to see such baffled fury. After finding that allhis terrible strength was not sufficient to shake the clinging boy fromhis perch, or bear down the tree under his weight, as he had doubtlessdone many a stout sapling, when wishing to feast off berries growingbeyond his reach, (if grizzlies do partake of such things, as theirblack cousins have always done,) the baffled animal actually started tognaw at the bark of the tree, as though in this manner he believed hemight weaken it sufficiently to attain his ends.
"Now, watch your chance, and give him another!" cried the deeplyinterested Tom, who was closely observing every little phase of thisstrange fight, so one-sided Felix thought.
As he had by this time put his hand to the plow, Felix did not mean toback out. He must have that grizzly pelt, if it took every ounce ofammunition he carried on his person. And since the beast was so badlywounded that he might eventually die anyway, he ought to be finished.
But somehow Felix did not feel as though he would ever want to gothrough the experience again; not that he was afraid; but it seemed toomuch like butchery to him, with the chances always against the animal.And those feelings did him credit, too, even if they marked his declineas a big-game hunter, for as such he could not consider that his quarryhad any right to live at all.
This time when he fired he believed that the bear was weakening. Tommust have thought along the same lines for he immediately called out inan exultant tone; for Tom being a stockman's son, only considered thegrizzly as a possible enemy of his father's herds; and on account ofprevious losses from a similar source he bore the grizzly tribe only thehardest of feelings.
Again did the wounded beast try to vent his fury upon the inoffensivetree, biting and clawing at it in the utmost fury, as though possessedof the one insane idea that in some fashion it had conspired to keep theobject of his anger beyond reach of his teeth and claws.
Between spells Felix sent in a fifth, and then a sixth shot. After thathe would have to reload, since he had exhausted the contents of hisgun's magazine, with the grizzly still on deck, though weakening.
"He's got his, I reckon!" said Tom, as the other was working withfeverish haste to insert another set of six cartridges through theopening meant for this purpose, as well as to eject the empty casesafter firing. "Better give him another to wind him up, though, Felix!"
The seventh shot did bring the unequal combat to an end, for the gallantold grizzly rolled over, and became still.
Tom immediately dropped down from his perch, and went over to where thebear lay.
"Now, if we only had the old kodak along, we could take your picture,standing with one foot on the fallen game!" he remarked, as Felix joinedhim.
"I'm glad we haven't," said the other, simply and Tom looked a bitpuzzled, although by the way he nodded his head presently it was evidentthat he had something like an inkling of the truth.
"Well, he _was_ a game old sport, all right," he declared; "and thatpelt will be something worth while. Reckon I'll have to get you to helpme take it off, because it's too big a job for one fellow."
Of course, after a little while, Felix got over the sensation of regretin connection with the shooting of the monster. He realized that agrizzly is really of no known use in the world and must be a source ofgreat annoyance to any stockman; so that he need not regret having slainthis fellow.
But one would be quite enough for him. Somehow, the sport was not all ithad been cracked up to be. Possibly it was because they had beencompelled to locate in those trees; but then, Felix learned afterwardsthat those who hunt grizzlies frequently, have so great a respect fortheir savage fury, as well as their ability to carry off lead, that theythink it no disgrace to place themselves out of the animal's reachbefore opening the battle.
It was late that evening before the two tired Nimrods reached home; butat any rate the last great ambition on the part of Felix had beenattained; he had killed a grizzly, and all unaided.
From that time on he felt that he would be satisfied to pursue the eventenor of his way, and not allow vaulting ambition to draw him into freshfields of adventure after big game.
Rocky Mountain Boys; Or, Camping in the Big Game Country Page 18