Part 19 (1/2)

Mr Ross was so anxious that they should get the bears to-day, so that the whole party could begin the return journey to-morrow, that he had the breakfast by starlight Just as the sun rose, and the Indians were calling, ”Sagastao! Sagastao!” (”The sun rises!”) to each other, they were already at the tunnel, anxious to resume operations They had to be careful now to so run the tunnel that they would directly strike the bears So, while the an were constantly travelling on their snowshoes with a coers, ere rapidly pushi+ng on their work

The boys could hardly understand hoas that it could be so cozy and comfortable in the tunnel while outside the cold was so terrible To their surprise, they here learned that there aring out the loads, all at once the dogs beca furiously

Suspecting that it was because of the scent of the bears, which passes a long distance through the snow, the guns and some axes were immediately sent for

”Did you ever shoot a bear?” said Mustagan to Sah ”But I fancy I got even with hian, with a co into the camp with a bear at his heels That's why your hair stands up so straight ever since”

Poor Sam, whose hair had a natural tendency to stand on end, said he thought he had heard enough of that bear story of his, and so was about bla too hard on hi him say:

”I want you to be the first to walk into that bears' den with me Mr Bear chased you once You killed some of his relatives since then, but he has lots of brothers, and perhaps some of them are in this den, and so now is your chance to teach the your hair stand up straight Fact is,” added the old Indian, who had never seen a person with his hair standing up like Sa bears until your hair gets over its scare and lies down flat again”

This bit of huan ah

Thus they chatted until the guns and axes arrived Then the as vigorously pursued The tunnel was dug in further and further, as fast as the snow could be hauled out Every tis came in with their empty sleds they were permitted to remain a few minutes to scent the bears As they had quieted down after their first noisy actions it was decided that they were still a good way off from the bears

As a precautionary , sli This he pushed in through the snow ahead of the diggers By this plan he was able to guard against any surprise, for he had stated to Mr Ross that, as the snoas so deep, the den would be found very warm, and he would not be surprised if they found the bears so wide-awake that they would have a bit of a fight with them ere they killed them When this was heard it added much to the excitement of the whole party, and so while everyone worked with a will they were all on the alert for soan had pushed in the pole two or three ti rapidly dug away, he at length struck against so hard, which was about fifteen feet in fros caan pulled out the pole and let the dogs put their noses to the opening They were si into the snow around the hole Of course, they were quickly stopped and again fastened to the sleds, which on account of the narrowness of the tunnel had to be backed in Cautiously they worked, and soon were only within four or five feet of the obstruction, whatever it was, that prevented the pole being pushed along any further

A consultation was now held, and it was decided to very e the end of the tunnel, so that if there was to be h for thethe tunnel and getting out the snow consumed the best part of an hour Fortunately, it was not very dark, although they were so far froht in any direction The pure white snow seeht However, it ork, and so the s in relays Once outside they quickly cooled off and were glad to return When the enlargeain engaged in cutting out great blocks of the snow that was between them and the bears, there suddenly reached the No need of telling anyone who has ever been near a close old bears' den where they were now

All the shovels except a couple were quickly dropped, and the weapons were seized by those ere expected to do the fighting The arrangements were speedily made It was difficult to say how many bears were in the den If only two or three, there would not betheether, there ht or ten, and if so there would be lots of exciteet hurt So it was decided that Mr Ross with Frank and Alec should go out to the mouth of the tunnel, and there with their weapons res unharnessed, and wait for developan with Sam and the others would face theh the tunnel those watching at the s

Cautiously the intervening wall of snoas broken down and tras heard, and it is evident that the bears are on the alert These sounds show that the bears have long been hearing the noisetheir courage up for a fight with the disturbers of their long repose Mustagan had taken the precaution to bring along some torches which he had specially made The principal materials of theum had been boiled down, and otherwise so prepared, that when ignited it ht and yet eers came to a wall of icy snohich was very close and hard This was the wall and roof of the whole den The party attentively listened, and now the bears were easily heard Mustagan said:

”Some of them wide-awake, others see and snarling, and seeet up' We'll wake you so you ant to get up in a hurry,” added the old e the shovels were ordered to exchange them for their heavy axes With these they were to at once san and Sahtest torches, and so the oldaniht to the other side of the den So the flint and steel were struck and a light orously broke through the thin glassy wall

Soon an opening sufficiently large was uns and torches As anticipated by Mustagan, the bears, frightened by the brilliant torches, at once crowded away fro flames So he and Sa to see that they were not altogether safe in there My, what a crowd of them! and bears of all sizes too

”Chop away at the ice,” was Mustagan's first co their way around So nuo their splendid torches that were burning brightly

”We are going to try and drive them out,” were his next words; and then the old Indian shouted, ”Look out, men, and be ready for them!”

Saan, but he could not help being startled and surprised at the nu like a drove of pigs The size and beauty of the winter house was also a revelation As the winter had advanced the warmth of the bears had caused the icy walls and roof to keep slowly receding, until now here was a capacious vault-like rooht flashed on it, it seemed like sorowling bears showed that the fierce occupants were anything but nyan quickly called in a coupleout a very large one that seein battle at any moment, he said, ”You, Sam, you shoot him fair between the eyes”

Sam at once obeyed Tremendous was the effect So confined was the place that the sound was as though a cannon had been fired All the torches were instantly extinguished but one, and the ice cracked and fell in great pieces around thehted

The bears ide-awake now Fortunately, the biggest and fiercest was stone dead Sam's aian was now so fiercely attacked by the next largest one that he could not bring up his gun to his shoulder, but he skillfully fired from his side and sent a bullet into the heart of his assailant

This quickly finished him This second report was, if possible, worse than the first, and so so the torches

”Drop your guns,” said Mustagan, ”and fight with your axes and knives”