CHAPTER X.
SHOOTING A THIEF.
"Are you working one of your little surprises on us?" Walter inquiredeagerly of his chum as the little party again advanced in the directionChris indicated. "Come, confess now that you know what is ahead of us."
"I am all at sea this time," admitted Charley. "I heard just whatChris described, but I can't fit the sounds to any animal I know. It'sgetting plainer now, surely you can hear it."
"Yes," said Walter, with a puzzled frown, "but what under the sun,moon, and stars can it be?"
"A few minutes will settle the question. It's only a little ways offnow. My! it's getting to be a terrible din, we must be close at hand."Charley's prophecy soon proved true for they suddenly came out of theforest into a space which had evidently been fire-swept years before,for it was bare of undergrowth and of the former mighty pines nothingremained but the white, lifeless trunks.
For a moment the hunters stood in the edge of the clearing, gazing inspeechless astonishment at the sight before them.
Close to one of the largest of the dead pines was a large black bear,reared back on his haunches and striking with both paws viciously atsome unseen foe. The hair of muzzle, head and paws was matted andplastered with some thick liquid, giving him a curious frowsyappearance. He was evidently in a towering rage but it was alsoapparent that he was suffering great pain, his ferocious growls beinginterspersed with long, low, pathetic whines.
"He acts as though he had gone crazy," exclaimed Walter, recovering hisspeech.
At sound of his voice, the bear's head turned in their direction. Witha growl of fury he dropped to all fours and with incredible speed madefor the hunters.
Charley had been quick to take in the meaning of the strange scene.
"Shoot and run," he shouted, as the maddened animal charged.
He, Walter and the captain shot almost at once. The shots struck homebut the sorely wounded beast still lumbered forward at a rapid pace.
"Run," shouted Charley, striking into the forest at the top of hisspeed, closely followed by the captain and Walter. They had run but afew paces before Walter, who was in the rear, stopped suddenly. "Chrishas stayed," he shouted to the others, "we can't leave him."
Almost as rapidly as they had fled, the three retraced their steps tothe edge of the clearing.
"Stay where we are and watch," commanded Charley, with a grim smile."The bear's too badly hurt to be dangerous. Watch him, fellows, justwatch."
Chris had knelt where he had been standing when the bear charged, hadrested his rifle on his knee, and was taking careful aim at theadvancing beast. There was a look of stubborn determination on hislittle ebony face while his heart was beating with pride andexultation. Here was his great chance to turn the tables on his whitecompanions. No longer would they dare tease him about running from theeel or about his adventure after the crane. He would be able now totwit 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, butthe little darky ignored the warning.
His keen eyes could see that the bear was badly wounded and liable todrop 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. Tenfeet more and he would fire, Chris resolved. But that ten feet provedthe ambitious little darky's undoing. A concentrated drop of buzzingliquid fire struck him above the eye, while hand and legs seemedsplashed with molten fire. Down went the rifle with a thud and with ashrieked "Oh golly, oh golly, oh golly!" a black streak cleared theopen ground with kangaroo-like leaps and shot into the forest.
"Run for the marsh and roll in the mud, Chris,"' shouted Charley afterthe streak.
The bear stumbled forward a few feet further, then sank slowly to theground. 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 towardthe bear which was kicking, out in the last convulsive throes of death.
"Aye, aye," agreed the captain cheerfully, stopping short, "you're thepilot in these waters, lad."
"I promise you I will not keep you at anchor long, Captain," laughedCharlie, as with his hunting-knife he began hacking at a clump ofscrub-palmetto.
A few minutes was all the time needed to accumulate 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 amatch and lit up the three, passing one to the captain and Walter, andkeeping 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 allready. Forward, march."
As they drew nearer to the carcase of the hear, they became aware of acurious humming sound in the air. The cause was soon apparent and themystery that had puzzled them was solved when they reached the beast.The carcase was covered with bees while close above it hummed a swarmof others watching for an exposed place to plant their stings.
A few minutes beating about with the smoking torches cleared the sceneof the vicious little insects, those not stupefied by the smoke beatinga hasty retreat back to their home in the hollow log which bruin hadtried to despoil.
The hunters had now a chance to view their prize without beingmolested. It was only a common, black Florida bear, weighing not overfour hundred pounds, but fat and in the pink of condition. Its thick,glossy fur had protected its body from the bees' assault, but swollenmuzzle, eyes, and ears, told of the penalty it had paid in playingrobber for its favorite food,--honey.
All fell to work with their hunting-knives and speedily had the heavyskin removed.
Walter smacked his lips as he cut away a couple of huge steaks with athick rim of fat. "Gee, those are fit for a king," he exclaimed. "Iwonder where our cook is. Do you suppose he has stopped running yet?"
Charley chuckled. "It's mean," he admitted, "but I can't help butlaugh when I think of how he looked kneeling there in stern resolve tobe covered with glory, and the transformation when he was covered withbees."
The three laughed heartily at the recollection, but Walter's laughended in a hungry sigh. "I wish he was here to cook these steaks. Ifhe comes back, don't let's tease him, fellows. He's suffered enoughfor one time."
"I bet he will be back by the time we get this fellow cut up and a firegoing," Charley said.
But the big animal was all cut up, what was not wanted for immediateuse cut into thin strips for drying, and a roaring fire going, andstill 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 guessbroiling some of it will be the easiest way."
Each cut himself a long, green palmetto stem which would not take firereadily and sharpened one end to a point upon which he impaled agenerous slice of steak. With flushed faces and singed fingers theykept turning the meat over and over before the blaze. It was anunsavory mess, burnt and ash covered, which they at last pronounceddone and deposited upon a clean palmetto leaf. Hungry as wolves, eachcut off a generous mouthful and began to chew. They chewed and chewedlooking at each other with keen disappointment on their faces.
Walter at last spat out his mouthful in disgust. "It's tough as soleleather and about as tasteless. We even forgot the salt, too."
A little figure lurking behind a tree on the edge of the clearingevidently deemed this just the proper time to make its presence known,for it stepped boldly out from behind its shelter. Its right eye wasclosed tight by an enormous swelling, and its nose was twice itsnatural size, but it strode forward with head up and dignity in itstread.
"Chris," shouted in delight the three beside the fire.
The li
ttle darky looked down on the pile of burnt and ruined meat indisgust. "I knowed you chillen's would go an' spoil de best part ob mybear. Now you-all jis get out ob de way an' dis nigger goin' to showyou how to cook b'ar meat."
"But it's so tough, Chris, that we can't chew it," Walter objected.
"You chillens jes get out of de way like I tells you," said the littlenegro vaingloriously. "Just come back in forty minutes an' dinner willbe ready. Leave dis nigger alone 'till then 'cause he's powerful crossto-day."
Charley nudged the captain and Walter and the three withdrew to alittle distance, leaving Chris in possession of the field.
"Chris will fix it up all right," Charley assured them. "While he's atit, let's have a try for some of the honey the bear was into," hesuggested.
His two companions gave an eager assent.