Part 11 (1/2)

A loud explosion sounded in Tad Butler's ears, then sudden darkness overwhelmed him.

CHAPTER VI

LOST IN THE ROSEBUD RANGE

”Whoa, Pink-eye!” muttered the lad, stirring restlessly. ”I'll get him next time. Look out, he's charging us. Oh!”

The boy suddenly opened his eyes. The darkness about him was deep and impenetrable and he was conscious of a heavy weight on his chest. What it was, he did not know, and some moments pa.s.sed before he had recovered sufficiently to form an intelligent idea of what had happened.

All at once he recollected.

”It was the bear,” he murmured. ”I wonder if I am dead!”

No, he could feel the ground under him, and a rock that his right hand rested on, felt cold and chilling. But what of the pressure on his chest?

Cautiously the lad moved a hand toward the object that was holding him down. His fingers lightly touched it.

Tad could scarce repress a yell.

It was the head of the bear that was resting on him, and he had no idea whether the animal were dead or asleep, awaiting the moment when the lad should stir again to fasten its cruel teeth into his body.

The boy was satisfied, however, that by exerting all his strength he would be able to pull himself away before the beast could awaken, even, providing it were still alive.

First he sought cautiously for his weapon, his fingers groping about over the ground at his right hand. He could not find it. Undoubtedly it had fallen underneath the bear.

Tad determined to mate a desperate effort to escape. He felt as if his hair were standing on end.

With a cry that he could not keep back, the lad whirled over and sprang to his feet. As he did so he leaped away, running with all his might until he had put some distance between himself and the prostrate animal.

Realizing that he was not being followed, Tad brought up sharply and dodged behind a tree. There he stood listening intently for several minutes.

Not a sound disturbed the stillness of the night. The leaves of the trees hung limp and lifeless, for no breeze was stirring.

”I wonder if he's dead,” whispered the lad, almost afraid to trust his voice out loud. ”Maybe that shot finished him. I must find out somehow.”

Tad searched his clothes for matches, finally finding his match safe. Next he sought to gather some sticks with which to make a torch, but the only wood he was able to find was of oak and so green that it would not burn.

”That's too bad,” he muttered. ”I'll have to try it with the matches.”

Lighting one he picked his way carefully toward the place where he had been lying, peering into the shadows ahead of him suspiciously as he went.

”There he is,” breathed Tad.

He could faintly make out the figure of the bear lying half on its side as it had been before, the only difference being that the animal's head was stretched out on the ground instead of on the lad's chest.

”I believe he's dead. He must be or he'd have been after me before this,” decided the boy. ”I 'm going to find out.”

Mustering his courage, Tad continued his cautious approach, lighting match after match, shading the flame with his hands so that the light would not get into his eyes and prevent him from seeing anything ahead of him.