Part 10 (1/2)
”Oh, that's too bad!” exclaimed Tad.
He did not refer to the accident to his companion, which he considered as too trivial to notice, but rather to the sufferings of the animal. Tad felt a deep sympathy for any dumb animal that was in trouble, no matter if it were a bear which would have shown him no mercy had they met face to face.
”Professor, let me have your revolver please,” he cried.
”What for?”
”I want to put the brute out of his misery. Please do!”
”There are no more sh.e.l.ls in it.”
”Then load it. I'm going to get Pink-eye. Hurry, hurry! Can't you see how the miserable creature is suffering?”
The lad darted away for his pony, while Professor Zepplin, sharing something of the boy's own feelings, hurried to his tent and recharged his weapon.
He had no more than returned when Tad came das.h.i.+ng up on Pink-eye.
”Where is he? Do you see him?”
”Over there, I can see the fire in the bushes,” answered Ned Rector.
”Quick, give me the gun,” demanded Tad.
”Wait, I'll go with you,” said Ned.
”No, remain where you are,” ordered Professor Zepplin. ”Some of you will surely be shot. Thaddeus, remember, you are not to go far from camp.”
Tad was off in a twinkle. Putting the spurs to Pink-eye, the animal leaped from the camp and disappeared among the trees.
”I am afraid I should not have allowed him to go,” announced the Professor, with a doubtful shake of his head. But it was too late now for regrets.
Tad found the going rough. He soon made out the flaming animal just ahead of him. The beast was down rolling from side to side in a frantic effort to put out the fire that was burning into his flesh.
Tad could not understand why the fur should make so much flame. He spurred the pony as near to the animal as he could get. Then he saw that the bear had become entangled in the guy ropes, and that he was pulling along with him portions of the burning canvas, attached to the ropes. It was this which made the animal a living torch.
The pony in its fright was rearing and plunging, bucking and squealing so that the lad had difficulty in keeping his seat.
”Steady, steady, Pink-eye,” he soothed.
For an instant the broncho ceased its wild antics and stood trembling with fear.
”Bang!”
Tad had aimed the heavy revolver and pulled the trigger.
Instantly the pony went up into the air again and the lad gripped its sides with his legs, giving a gentle pressure with the spurs.
”Whoa, Pink-eye! I hit Mm, I did. I aimed for his head, but I must have merely grazed it. I wish I could kill the brute and put him out of his misery,” said the lad more concerned for the suffering animal before him than for his own safety.
No sooner had he fired the first shot, than the bear sprang to its feet and sped away up a steep bank. Tad noticed that the bear's rolling had extinguished some of the fire, but he knew that it was still burrowing in the beast's fur, causing him great agony.