Part 43 (1/2)

It was a box that had contained rifle cartridges It was empty and practically new Had his father possessed that and discarded it?

Suddenly he thought of sonal The last echo had hardly died out when an answering shot caain

Perhaps the shot had come from above, from Granbury Lapham or the others up there But no, it had seemed to be further down--beyond the line of firs which confronted hiain But this tinal came back

”If it was father he'll want to save his shots--especially if his cartridge box is eh the ti his parent in the meanwhile

CHAPTER XXVIII

A JOYOUS MEETING

Dave had proceeded a distance of fifty yards into the patch of firs when he caht his ears He had never heard such a sound before and he wondered what it was

”Must have been some bird--or a wild animal,” he ht to be many kinds of small wild aniain, but a dozen steps further ca lay in the snow at his feet It was a fur glove He picked it up, looked it over, and then, in his agitation, dropped it

The glove was stained with blood!

”Can that be father's glove?” he thought ”And if it is, how does it happen that it is covered with blood?”

A shi+ver ran down his backbone that was not caused by the cold, and for the minute he could hardly move He tried to call once more, but his throat was so dry he could scarcely ain fro He now recognized it as a growl, but whether of a dog or a wild beast he could not deterht out the pistol he had placed in his pocket and held it ready for use

”Footprints!” The word came from his lips involuntarily He had reached a spot where the snoas only a few inches deep, and here the footprints of a h the belt of firs and then towards the jagged rocks at the base of a high cliff

Again that suspicious growl reached him, and now Dave saw a dark object just as it disappeared around a corner of rock close to so in the snow?” he asked hi didn't look like a beast”

He went on, more cautiously than ever Then he heard a sudden cry that le:

”Get back there! Get back, you brute!”

It was ato keep off soe of a pistol, and a few seconds later there caely and wagging its shaggy head from side to side The youth was surprised but not taken off his guard, and as the animal cager The bear had raised up on its hind legs and the bullet took it straight in the breast, inflicting a bad but not a mortal wound Then Dave started to fire a second ti the bear leaped over a low rock and disappeared in the brushwood Listening, Dave heard it lue and pain as it went

”hello!” came a faint voice ”Is that you, Lapham?”

”No, it is somebody else,” answered Dave He could scarcely speak, he was so agitated ”Where are you?”

”Here, near the cliff I am wounded, and I--I----” The voice died out co!” shouted Dave ”Just let me knohere you are”

For a minute there was no answer, and Dave continued to call Then came as half call and half moan With ears on the alert, the boy followed up the sounds and quickly caht of a man, wrapped up in a fur overcoat and crouched in a heap between two rocks at the base of the cliff He held a pistol in his hand, but the weapon was empty

For the instant man and boy faced each other--the foritated to do so Dave's heart was beating like a trip-has were coan ”Are you David Porter?” he blurted out