Part 9 (1/2)

”Hurrah for Mr Mabie!”

In his excite the ranchman leap from the back of his own horse and rapidly run back toward the spot where Jerry crouched, apparently too winded to get to his feet and try flight

Now Mr Mabie had reached the boy, and the barrier of his heavy repeating rifle would be between Jerry and the grizzly Frank expected to see the stockman drop on one knee and take aim at the bear, now very close to the two dis of the kind occurred On the contrary, he saw Mr Mabie thrust the rifle into the hands of the boy, who seeerly

Jerry had declined to shoot the grizzly when the beast was held by a cordon of riatas The conditions were now considerably altered, for the huge ani down upon hi eyes It was a case of bringing his advance to a speedy stop, or suffering the consequences

Frank's heart thrilled with pride as he saw his chulistening barrel Mr Mabie had shoonderful confidence in the boy's nerve to thus place the solution of the probleed at the mouth of his refractory un as the report sounded

”Whoop! He's down!” shrieked a cowboy curveting near by

”Take care! He's coain, Jerry!” shouted Frank

The bear had rolled over at the shot, but being one of the toughest aniain, and was once h he had never e into the chamber, deliberately took aiain

Once ain he did not see the hand of the young Nireat enthusiasm Perhaps he had purposely tried the nerve of Jerry, to find out what manner of boys these were, of whom old Jesse Wilcox spoke so well

Now that the monster was dead, the ponies consented to draw somewhat closer; but the boys had to dismount, and hand over their steeds to a cohen they wished to reach the spot where the victim of the hunt lay

Will, with his camera, was, of course, in evidence

”I wouldn't have htened horse had only allowed me to take a crack at the time the old hermit toppled over, I'd be ever sohow the other had been forced to clasp his arms around the neck of his frantic steed at the ti about

”Give us a grip of your paw, old fellow!” cried Bluff, rushi+ng up, bri over with enthusiasht! And he did the Rod, Gun and Camera Club proud when he used your weapon, didn't he, Mr Mabie?”

”I kneould,” was the quiet remark of the stock a favorable opinion of the chums from the minute he saw them come off the train

”Would you like that skin to remember the event by, Jerry?” Mr Mabie asked, a little later, while they atching the cowboys reive my mother a cold chill to see it, if she ever heard the story; but then we have a clubroouess it would look nice there So, since you are so kind as to offer it, I'll say yes, Mr Mabie”

”Well, I should reive you if you let that chance slip It looks as though our big-ga worth while, after all,” observed Bluff

”You do everything on a big scale out here in the Northwest, sir The fields of wheat are treher than any in the East, by long odds; and the gaest in the whole country,” re air we hope to raise the finest crop of boys in the world But let's return to the house, lads It's time we had a bite, for I'm sure your appetites must be sharpened by this little adventure”

The ranchlance toward Jerry as they rode home He fell back with Frank on purpose to speak hisand shouting, as boys off on a vacation always do