CHAPTER XXIII.
THE BLACK BEAR.
"Somebody is coming!" ejaculated Sam. "I hope it is Dick, with Mr.Barrow!"
"So do I," returned Tom.
Without saying a word more, Jasper Grinder ran from the inner cave andjoined Baxter and the guide. His face was pale, and he was evidentlymuch disturbed.
Soon Baxter and his party were outside, and the Rover boys heard themmoving up and down the gully. Several minutes passed, and then came agunshot, followed by another.
"I hope they are not firing on Dick or Mr. Barrow," said Sam, withsomething of a shudder.
"I guess not," returned his brother. "If they were, we'd probably hearshots in return."
An hour went by, and then Dan Baxter and the others came back, the guidecarrying several rabbits and a large fox. The rabbits were skinned andkept for eating, and the fox was skinned and the carcass thrown away.
Tom and Sam had expected Jasper Grinder to return to them, but if theformer teacher desired to do this, he was prevented by Dan Baxter, whokept his companions close by him, around the fire.
Slowly the time went by until darkness was upon them. The fire was keptup, but Baxter screened it as much as possible, so that the glare mightnot penetrate to the forest beyond the gully and prove a beacon to guideDick and John Barrow to the spot.
The boys were tired out, and soon Sam sank to sleep, with his handsstill tied to the tree roots. Tom tried to keep awake, but half an hourlater he, too, was in dreamland.
When the Rovers awoke it was not yet morning. All was dark around them,for the fire had burnt low. Sam roused up first, with a severe pain inhis wrists and ankles, where his bonds were cutting him.
"Oh, my wrists!" he groaned, and his voice caused Tom to start.
"Is that you, Sam?"
"Yes. My wrists are almost cut in two!"
"The same here. I've slept like a rock, too."
"Is it morning yet?"
"I'm sure I don't know."
"What's going on in there?" came from Dan Baxter, as he leaped to hisfeet and caught up a gun.
"We are suffering from cuts of the ropes," said Tom. "It was an outrageto compel us to sleep in this fashion, tied up like mummies!"
"Oh, shut up!" growled Baxter, and then began to poke the fire. Soon itwas blazing as readily as before, and then the light found its way intothe inner cave, so that Sam and Tom could see each other once more.
Breakfast for the two prisoners was a slim affair of crackers, rabbits'bones, and water. Tom asked for coffee, but Baxter would not give it tothem.
"You'll get no luxuries from me," growled the bully. "Be thankful thatyou aren't being starved."
While they were eating, Baxter and his companions held a low, butanimated, conversation. "We'll try it, anyway," Tom heard Baxter say,and that was all the Rovers heard. As soon as the meal was finished theparty took up some of their traps and their firearms.
"Now, then, we are going out for a while," said Dan Baxter, coming up tothe prisoners. "Take my advice and don't try to escape in the meantime.If you do, and we catch you, it will go hard with you; let me tell youthat!"
"Are you going to leave us tied up?" questioned Tom dubiously.
"Certainly."
"Some wild animal may come in here and chew us up."
"We'll leave the fire burning--that will keep 'em away," returned thebully.
He would say no more, and in a few minutes he and his companions weregone and the Rover boys were left to themselves.
"Now what?" asked Sam, after all had been silent for at least tenminutes.
"Don't ask me," replied Tom disconsolately. "We're in a pickle, and nomistake. Are your hands as tight as ever?"
"Yes, and my wrists hurt so I feel like screaming with pain."
"Baxter is a brute, if ever there was one. However, I think I can get myleft hand free," went on Tom suddenly.
"Good, Tom! Do so by all means."
Tom worked away with vigor. The pain was intense, but he bore itmanfully. At last his hand was free.
"Hurrah! so far so good!" he cried lowly. "Now for the other hand."
But this was not so easy, for the knots were hard ones and broke hisfinger nails dread-fully.
"If only I could get at them with my teeth," he observed, "I'd soon chewthem apart."
But he could not bend around, and so had to content himself withworking away as before. Soon his fingers grew numb and he had to desist.
"Too bad, but I can't make it!" he groaned.
"Wait a while and give your fingers a rest," returned Sam.
He had begun work on his own fetters, but try his best could make nomaterial progress. The ropes had cut through the skin in two places andfrom these spots the blood was flowing freely.
Two hours went by, and to the boys it seemed an age. Tom had tried hisbest to free himself, and now the cords were gradually loosening up.
"I've got it at last!" he cried presently. "Just wait." And a littlelater the bonds dropped to the ground. But the work had caused hisfinger tips to bleed.
With his hands free, Tom set to work free his feet, and this was not sodifficult, although it also took time. Both boys were now hungry oncemore, and reckoned that it was well past the noon hour.
"I'll set you free, and then we'll look around for something to eat,"said Tom.
"Hadn't we better get out as soon as we can?" asked his brother."Remember, they may come back at any moment, and we are no match forthem."
"It will take but a minute to pick up something, if it's around, Sam.Besides, we have got to have something in our stomachs before we setoff to hunt up Dick and Mr. Barrow."
As soon as Sam was freed they ran to the outer cave. Here, on sometree-roots overhead, hung a number of traps, including a knapsackcontaining crackers and cheese, and close by it was a portion of rabbit,left over from the morning repast.
"Just what we want!" cried Tom. "Now, if we only had a gun----"
He broke off short, as a crashing outside greeted their ears. The noisecontinued several seconds, then ceased abruptly.
"What do you suppose that was?" questioned Sam. "It can't be our enemiesreturning."
"No, I think it was some wild animal--perhaps a wildcat."
Both looked around for some weapon with which to defend themselves, andSam caught sight of a double-barreled shotgun standing in a corner of thecave. He ran for this, and as he did so the crashing outside wascontinued.
"I see something under the brushwood!" whispered Tom, peeping out."Something big and black."
"It's a bear!" cried Sam, a minute later. "A black bear! And he iscoming this way!"
Both boys were astonished and bewildered, for they had not been lookingfor such a big beast as this. Sam clutched the shotgun tightly, whileTom ran to the fire and picked up the biggest brand he could hold.
The bear advanced to the center of the gully and looked up and downsuspiciously. Then he sniffed the air.
"He smells the carcass of the fox that lies outside," whispered Tom.
"Well, he must smell us, too, Tom. It's a wonder he doesn't run. Mr.Barrow said bears up here were generally shy."
"I reckon he is pretty hungry. Here he comes for the fox meat now."
Tom was right. The bear was advancing with great care, sniffing thesnow-covered ground at every step. Once or twice he raised his head, asif preparing to run at the first sign of alarm.
"I'd like to bring him down!" whispered Sam.
"You can't do it with the shotgun, Sam. Be quiet! We can be thankful ifhe takes the fox meat and leaves us alone."
At last the bear reached the carcass. The two boys expected he wouldsnatch it up instantly and run away, but they were mistaken. The bearsniffed it from end to end, and walked all around it.
"He's afraid of a trap, or something like that," whispered Tom. "Theyare pretty cute."
At last the bear seemed satisfied, and he took the carcass up in hismouth and started to walk off with it. But, instead of turning up ordow
n the gully, he came closer to the cave!
"My gracious, he's coming this way!" cried Sam. "Look out, Tom!"
His voice was so loud that the black bear heard it plainly. The beastimmediately dropped the fox meat and stood up on his hind legs. Then hegave a roar of disappointment; thinking, probably, that the boys had seta bait to catch him.
"He don't like the situation," began Tom, when he gave a yell andclutched his brother by the arm. And small wonder, for with rapidstrides the black bear was making for them, as though to chew them bothup!