The Outdoor Chums in the Forest; Or, Laying the Ghost of Oak Ridge

by Quincy Allen

  CHAPTER VIII

  EVERYTHING SEEMS TO COME THEIR WAY

  "I told you so!" shouted Bluff, as he fell over in his eagerness to getup.

  "Somebody shoot him!" bellowed Jerry, who was directly in the path ofthe bear, if the rolling monster concluded to keep on after he hadextinguished the several little fires in his hairy hide.

  Frank had a method in his activity in rolling away from the danger zone.He remembered that he had placed his gun at the foot of the tree thathad the gnarly trunk, and in a case of this sort the quicker a fellowlaid hands on some means of defense the better.

  Now Bruin was once more upon his feet, having succeeded in putting outthe few sparks that had threatened to set him on fire, so that if he ranthrough the forest he must have resembled an animated torch.

  Bang!

  That was surely the voice of the repeating gun. Bluff had had it inhis hands at the time the bear, angered by the constant inrush of bittersmoke, had dashed from his den, among the blazing fagots.

  BANG! THAT WAS SURELY THE VOICE OF THE REPEATING GUN.]

  It had taken Bluff just about five seconds to get himself together andraise his gun to a level with the struggling black form among thescattered brands of the disturbed fire.

  "Whoop! Give him some more, _you_!" shouted Jerry, peering over the topof the log behind which he had now taken refuge.

  Bang!

  That shot came from another quarter. Frank did not mean to be left outin the cold entirely, apparently.

  Then Bluff took up the refrain again, which was an invitation for Frankto make use of his second barrel. By that time the bear had ceasedmaking any attempt at escape, and was lying, inert, on the ground. Fourcharges, even of bird shot, when fired only ten feet away, at the most,can do the execution of as many bullets of large caliber.

  "Well done, fellows! I congratulate the brave Nimrods!" vociferatedJerry, coming out from his place of refuge and waving his cap in theair.

  Snap! Will had made another flash picture.

  "Wouldn't have lost that one for a good deal, I tell you," he said.

  Jerry, in his demonstrative way, went around shaking hands with everyone, even little Jed, who had been petrified with horror during theentire proceedings, and could only stare at what was passing.

  "Talk about your luck! What d'ye think of that? Meat just drops into ourhands as we sit around our campfire. Tell me about your Israelites inthe desert, and the manna that they picked up--we don't even have tomove to get a full larder."

  "Well, bear's meat may please some, but it's pretty tough," commentedWill.

  "Come off, you practical man! Where's your sporting blood? Think of thedelight of sitting here and chewing on meat that fell to your gun. Whatodds if it is as tough as an old cow? It's _game_! That ought to settleit. Imagination can make even bear meat seem as tender as spring lamb,"declared Jerry.

  "And there's the skin. That will make a bully old rug for my den!"exclaimed Bluff, looking boldly at Frank, as though challenging him todispute his claim.

  "You're welcome to it, seeing that I have several already, but I'mafraid you'll find it a pretty poor specimen at this season of theyear. The pelts are never good for much until fall sets in. The beasthas hardly stopped shedding last winter's coat of hair," laughed Frank.

  "Well, that _was_ a bear's den, after all! We didn't go far wrong, didwe? And as for me, I'm itching to investigate it right away. Frank,let's get a few torches together and crawl in. Will you?"

  Jerry was as eager as ever to examine things. He could not wait untilmorning came, now that a bear had actually issued forth from the crevicein the rocks.

  "There may be another in there," suggested Bluff meaningly.

  "All right, then. Something is due to fall to my gun, I guess. Don't youthink for a minute that everything is going to come your way. Bettersave your wind for blowing up your bed a little later. You'll probablyneed it all," remarked Jerry, who had been sore ever since the precedingnight, when his rival had come in just a trifle ahead in the great windact.

  Frank hesitated. He knew it was hardly wise to creep into that crack inthe rocks so soon after the bear had issued forth; for if there was amate inside, doubtless they would have a severe conflict.

  At the same time he knew Jerry full well, and was certain that once hehad taken the notion into his head he would carry it out, if he had togo alone.

  So he quickly made up his mind to go.

  "All right, if you are bent on it; get the torches ready. I imagine,though, it is only a little cave, after all, and we will be back in ajiffy," he said, as he pushed new shells into his gun and fastened hisbelt around his waist, so that in case of necessity he would have afurther supply.

  Meanwhile, Will was rebuilding the fire. Bluff, aided by Jed, hadsucceeded in pulling the dead bear further away, all the while mutteringdelighted phrases at the great luck that had come his way sounexpectedly. He would never be able to sleep that night for wanting tofeast his eyes on the big black bulk that represented such speedy workwith his repeating gun.

  "All ready, pard," said Jerry just then.

  He had several pieces of good burning wood under his arm, and carriedone that he had lighted at the fire, in his hand. With his other hand heclasped his gun, ready for business.

  "Here, let me carry the torches, Jerry. If a chance comes, you ought tobe prepared for it," said Frank as they reached the opening.

  That was his usual generous way, always wanting every one to get hisshare of the fun and glory.

  They found that the cleft was really wider than any of them hadsuspected up to now. Moreover, it showed plain evidences of having beenused by some wild animal for a long time, as there was a regular trailrunning into it.

  "Looks good to me," declared Jerry, who dearly loved to be prowlingabout just such a place as this, with the odor of a wild animal's dengreeting his nostrils as they pushed slowly into the hole in the rocks.

  Frank thought he had known spots more pleasant, but then he was game foranything in this line, so they pushed on, following the turns in thecrack until finally Jerry, who was in advance, stopped.

  "I see something ahead there. Thought it moved a little. Raise thelight, please."

  "You're not going to shoot, I hope!" exclaimed Frank, who knew that sucha move would be the extreme of foolishness, since at the best Jerrycould only expect to wound, and a bear in that condition was to bedreaded.

  "Certainly not, unless I can see the rascal decently. Now let's advanceslowly. Can you see anything yet?" asked the other.

  "Only a dark spot. I hardly think it's a bear, for by now we would haveheard growls of some sort," Frank replied.

  "Cubs, perhaps; this is the time of year for them."

  "Yes, but that was not a mother bear Bluff shot, you see, and the fatherwould hardly be in here with the cubs. I never heard of such a thing.No. You see, just as I said, it's only a lot of stuff where the old chaphad his bed. The smoke made him mad, it seems. Must have had a previousexperience in getting smoked out, and simply couldn't stand for it."

  "And the cave ends here, that is, the part of it big enough for ourpassage. So, after a look around, perhaps we'd better go back. To tellthe truth, I thought I heard one of the boys shouting just then," saidJerry, whose ears were unusually keen.

  "Probably Bluff, just working off a little more of his enthusiasm. Thishas been a big night for him, Jerry. And that gun--well, it won't do foryou to poke fun at it any more, you understand."

  They investigated to see what the draught of air meant, and concludedthat the crevice might have another opening further on, though it wasout of their reach, by reason of the smallness of the passage.

  "Back to the camp it is, then. No more bears to-night, I reckon," sighedJerry, visibly disappointed because he was not to be permitted to sharein the honors that had fallen to Bluff.

  So they began to make their way back to the exit.

  Frank pushed on with increased speed, for it seemed to him that he, too,had
heard some sort of sounds outside that might bear investigation.Could the farmer and his man have returned during their absence, and,cowing the two guardians of the camp, carried the bound boy off to hisservitude again?

  The thought annoyed him more than he could say, and it was in that frameof mind that he and Jerry emerged from the cleft. They found anapparently deserted camp, with not one of the three in sight.

  "Hello, there, Bluff! Will! Where are you?" cried Frank in dismay.

  Then a head was cautiously poked up from behind a log--the head of Will.

  "Say! Is it gone?" asked this individual in thrilling tones.

  "What gone--the bear?" demanded Frank, looking at the dark mass near by.

  "No; the ghost! It was here just now, and poor Bluff fell over in aheap when he jumped up to get his gun. Oh! it was terrible! terrible!"groaned Will, as he came crawling cautiously forth, and looking halffrightened to death.