Part 10 (1/2)

”Stay where we are and watch,” commanded Charley, with a grim smile.

”The bear's too badly hurt to be dangerous. Watch him, fellows, just watch.”

Chris had knelt where he had been standing when the bear charged, had rested his rifle on his knee, and was taking careful aim at the advancing beast. There was a look of stubborn determination on his little ebony face while his heart was beating with pride and exultation. Here was his great chance to turn the tables on his white companions. No longer would they dare tease him about running from the eel or about his adventure after the crane. He would be able now to twit them all, even the captain, with running away while he, Chris, stood his ground.

”Run, Chris, run,” shouted Charley from the edge of the clearing, but the little darky ignored the warning.

His keen eyes could see that the bear was badly wounded and liable to drop at any minute. Already it was swaying drunkenly from side to side.

Now it was forty feet away, now thirty and almost ready to drop. Ten feet more and he would fire, Chris resolved. But that ten feet proved the ambitious little darky's undoing. A concentrated drop of buzzing liquid fire struck him above the eye, while hand and legs seemed splashed with molten fire. Down went the rifle with a thud and with a shrieked ”Oh golly, oh golly, oh golly!” a black streak cleared the open ground with kangaroo-like leaps and shot into the forest.

”Run for the marsh and roll in the mud, Chris,”' shouted Charley after the streak.

The bear stumbled forward a few feet further, then sank slowly to the ground. Charley looked after the flying Chris, shaking with laughter, while the others stood beside him in silent amazement.

”Hold on a minute,” said Charley, as the captain stepped forward toward the bear which was kicking, out in the last convulsive throes of death.

”Aye, aye,” agreed the captain cheerfully, stopping short, ”you're the pilot in these waters, lad.”

”I promise you I will not keep you at anchor long, Captain,” laughed Charlie, as with his hunting-knife he began hacking at a clump of scrub-palmetto.

A few minutes was all the time needed to acc.u.mulate a heap of the big, fan-like leaves. These Charley made into three torch-like bundles, taking care to place a dead dry leaf between each two green ones.

Binding each bundle together with a wisp of green leaf, he struck a match and lit up the three, pa.s.sing one to the captain and Walter, and keeping one himself.

The dry leaves blazed up like tinder but the green ones only smoldered, sending forth a volume of black, thick pungent smoke.

”Keep waving them about you,” he cautioned, ”that's the way. Now all ready. Forward, march.”

As they drew nearer to the carcase of the hear, they became aware of a curious humming sound in the air. The cause was soon apparent and the mystery that had puzzled them was solved when they reached the beast.

The carcase was covered with bees while close above it hummed a swarm of others watching for an exposed place to plant their stings.

A few minutes beating about with the smoking torches cleared the scene of the vicious little insects, those not stupefied by the smoke beating a hasty retreat back to their home in the hollow log which bruin had tried to despoil.

The hunters had now a chance to view their prize without being molested. It was only a common, black Florida bear, weighing not over four hundred pounds, but fat and in the pink of condition. Its thick, glossy fur had protected its body from the bees' a.s.sault, but swollen muzzle, eyes, and ears, told of the penalty it had paid in playing robber for its favorite food,--honey.

All fell to work with their hunting-knives and speedily had the heavy skin removed.

Walter smacked his lips as he cut away a couple of huge steaks with a thick rim of fat. ”Gee, those are fit for a king,” he exclaimed. ”I wonder where our cook is. Do you suppose he has stopped running yet?”

Charley chuckled. ”It's mean,” he admitted, ”but I can't help but laugh when I think of how he looked kneeling there in stern resolve to be covered with glory, and the transformation when he was covered with bees.”

The three laughed heartily at the recollection, but Walter's laugh ended in a hungry sigh. ”I wish he was here to cook these steaks. If he comes back, don't let's tease him, fellows. He's suffered enough for one time.”

”I bet he will be back by the time we get this fellow cut up and a fire going,” Charley said.

But the big animal was all cut up, what was not wanted for immediate use cut into thin strips for drying, and a roaring fire going, and still no sign of the missing one.

”Well, I guess we will have to cook some of it the best we can, although I expect we'll make a sorry mess of it without Chris. I guess broiling some of it will be the easiest way.”