The Silver Canyon: A Tale of the Western Plains

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER EIGHT.

  ROUGH CUSTOMERS.

  There was nothing to tempt a stay where they were, so taking advantageof their being once more alone, a fresh start was made along the mostopen course that presented itself, and some miles were placed betweenthem and the last camp before a halt was made for the night.

  "We shan't do no good, Master Bart," said Joses, as they two kept watchfor the first part of the night. "The master thinks we shall, but Idon't, and Juan don't, and Sam and Harry don't."

  "But why not?"

  "Why not, Master Bart? How can you 'spect it, when you've got a youngwoman and a waggon and a tent along with you. Them's all three thingsas stop you from getting over the ground. I don't call this anexploring party; I call it just a-going out a-pleasuring when it's allpain."

  "You always would grumble, Joses; no matter where we were, or what wewere doing, you would have your grumble. I suppose it does you good."

  "Why, of course it does," said Joses, with a low chuckling laugh. "If Iwasn't to grumble, that would all be in my mind making me sour, so Igets rid of it as soon as I can."

  That night passed without adventure, and, starting at daybreak the nextmorning, they found a fine open stretch of plain before them, beyondwhich, blue and purple in the distance, rose the mountains, and thesewere looked upon as their temporary destination, for Dr Lascelles wasof opinion that here he might discover something to reward his toils.

  The day was so hot and the journey so arduous, that upon getting to thefarther side of the plain, with the ground growing terribly broken andrugged as they approached the mountain slopes, a suitable spot wasselected, and the country being apparently quite free from danger, thetent was set up, and the quarters made snug for two or three days' rest,so that the Doctor might make a good search about the mountain chasmsand ravines, and see if there were any prospect of success.

  The place reached was very rugged, but it had an indescribable charmfrom the varied tints of the rocks and the clumps of bushes, with hereand there a low scrubby tree, some of which proved to be laden with wildplums.

  "Why, those are wild grapes too, are they not?" said Bart, pointing tosome clustering vines which hung over the rocks laden with purplingberries.

  "That they be," said Joses; "and as sour as sour, I'll bet. But I say,Master Bart, hear that?"

  "What! that piping noise?" replied Bart. "I was wondering what it couldbe."

  "I'll tell you, lad," said Joses, chuckling. "That's young wild turkeyscalling to one another, and if we don't have a few to roast it shan't beour fault."

  The Doctor was told of the find, and after all had been made snug, itwas resolved to take guns and rifles, and search for something likely toprove an agreeable change.

  "For we may as well enjoy ourselves, Bart, and supply Madam Maude herewith a few good things for our pic-nic pot."

  The heat of the evening and the exertion of the long day's journey madethe party rather reluctant to stir after their meal, but at last gunswere taken, and in the hope of securing a few of the wild turkeys, astart was made; but after a stroll in different directions, Joses beganto shake his head, and to say that it would be no use till daybreak, forthe turkeys had gone to roost.

  Walking, too, was difficult, and there were so many thorns, that, out ofkindness to his child, the Doctor proposed that they should return tothe tent; signals were made to the men at a distance, and thoroughlyenjoying the cool, delicious air of approaching eve, they had nearlyreached the tent, when about a hundred yards of the roughest ground hadto be traversed--a part that seemed as if giants had been hurling downhuge masses of the mountain to form a new chaos, among whose mightyboulders, awkward thorns, huge prickly cacti, and wild plums, grew inprofusion.

  "What a place to turn into a wild garden, Bart!" said the Doctor,suddenly.

  "I had been thinking so," cried Maude, eagerly. "What a place to builda house!"

  "And feed cattle, eh?" said the Doctor. "Very pretty to look at, mychild, but I'm afraid that unless we could live by our guns, we shouldstarve."

  "Hough--hough--hough!" came from beyond a rugged piece of rock.

  "O father!" cried Maude, clinging to his arm.

  "Don't hold me, child," he said fiercely, "leave my arm free;" andstarting forward, gun in hand, he made for the place from whence thehideous half-roaring, half-grunting noise had came.

  Before he had gone a dozen steps the sound was repeated, but away totheir right. Then came the sharp reports of two guns, and, evidentlyseeing something hidden from her father and Bart, Maude sprang forwardwhile they followed.

  "Don't go, Missy, don't go," shouted Juan, and his cry was echoed byHarry; but she did not seem to hear them, and was the first to arrive atwhere a huge bear lay upon its flank, feebly clawing at the rock withfore and hind paw, it having received a couple of shots in vital parts.

  "Pray keep back, Maude," cried Bart, running to her side.

  "I wanted to see it," she said with an eager glance around at herfather, who came up rapidly. "What is it?"

  "It's the cub half grown of a grizzly bear," said Dr Lascelles,speaking excitedly now. "Back, girl, to the tent; the mother must beclose at hand."

  "On, forward; she's gone round to the right," shouted the men behind,who had been trying to get on by another way, but were stopped by therocks.

  "Back, girl!" said the Doctor again. "Forward all of you, steadily, andmake every shot tell. Where is Joses?"

  Just then the deep hoarse grunting roar came again from a hollow downbeyond them, and directly after, as they all hurried forward, each manready to fire at the first chance, they heard a shot, and directly aftercame in sight of Joses, with his double rifle to his shoulder taking aimat a monstrous bear that, apparently half disabled by his last shot, wasdrawing itself up on a great shelving block of stone, and open mouthedand with blood and slaver running from its glistening ivory fangs, wasjust turning upon him to make a dash and strike him down.

  Just then a second shot rang out, and the bear rolled over, but sprangto its feet again with a terrific roar, and dashed at her assailant.

  It was impossible to fire now, lest Joses should be hit; and though heturned and fled, he was too late, for the bear, in spite of its huge,ox-like size, sprang upon him, striking him down, and stood over him.

  But now was the time, and the Doctor's and Bart's rifles both rang out,the latter going down on one knee to take careful aim; and as the smokecleared away the bear was gone.

  "She's made for those rocks yonder," cried Juan, excitedly. "We'll haveher now, master. She didn't seem hurt a bit."

  "Be careful," cried the Doctor. "Maude, help poor Joses. Go forward,Bart, but mind. She may be fatally wounded now."

  Bart was for staying to help the man who had so often been hiscompanion, but his orders were to go on; he knew that Joses could not bein better hands; and there was the inducement to slay his slayer to urgehim forward as he ran with his rifle at the trail over the rocks, andwas guided by the savage growling he could hear amidst some bushes towhere the monster was at bay.

  It was fast approaching the moment when all would be in gloom, and Bartknew that it would be impossible for them to camp where they were with awounded grizzly anywhere near at hand. Slain the monster must be, andat once; but though the growling was plain enough, the bear was notvisible, and ammunition is too costly out in the desert for a singlecharge to be wasted by a foolish shot.

  Juan, Harry, and Sam were all in position, ready to fire, but still theanimal did not show itself, so they went closer to the thicket, andthrew in heavy stones, but without the least effect, till Juan suddenlyexclaimed that he would go right in and drive the brute out.

  Bart forbade this, however, and the man contented himself with going alittle closer, and throwing a heavy block in a part where they had notthrown before.

  A savage grunt was the result, and judging where the grizzly lay, Juan,without waiting for counsel, raised his rifle and fired, dropping hisweapon and runnin
g for his life the next moment, for the shot wassucceeded by a savage yell, and the monster came crashing out in aheadlong charge, giving Juan no cause for flight, since his butt madestraight for Bart, open mouthed, fiery-eyed, and panting for revenge.

  Bart's first instinct was to turn and run, his second to stand hisground and fire right at the monster, taking deadly aim.

  But in moments of peril like his there is little time for the exerciseof judgment, and ere he could raise his rifle to his shoulder and takecareful aim the bear was upon him, rising up on its hind legs, not tohug him, as is generally supposed to be the habits of these beasts, butto strike at him right and left with its hideously armed paws.

  Bart did not know how it happened, but as the beast towered up in itshuge proportions, he fired rapidly both barrels of his piece, one loadedwith heavy shot for the turkeys, the other with ball, right into themonster's chest.

  As he fired Bart leaped back, and it was well that he did so, for thegrizzly fell forward with a heavy thud, almost where he had beenstanding, clawed at the rocks and stones for a few moments, and then layperfectly still--dead.