CHAPTER XVII.
AN EXCITING PURSUIT.
Mr Onthank's reflections when the grizzly was slowly but steadilyclimbing the tree were by no means pleasant.
"If he once grips me, I am gone," he said, despairingly.
"Shall I shoot?" asked Tom, looking on in excitement.
"You might hit me," said Ebenezer, who knew nothing of Tom's skill as amarksman.
"No, I won't."
"I think I'll swing off," said the Yankee, "and join you."
Whether this was or was not a wise thing to do Tom did not feelqualified to decide. It was evident that Onthank must do somethingspeedily, or he would be in the power of the bear. He waited nervouslytill Bruin was uncomfortably near, and then, seizing the branch withhis hands, swung to the ground. The height was considerable, and thefall jarred him; but, quickly recovering himself, he ran towards Tom.
"Now we must run for our lives, Tom," he said, suiting the action to theword.
Tom fully understood the necessity, and followed suit, first hazarding aglance at the discomfited bear.
When the grizzly witnessed the escape of his victim he showed noexcitement, nor did he accelerate his motions. He began deliberately toback down the tree. This required some little time, which Tom and hisfriend made the most of.
"Give me your rifle," said Onthank.
"I'd rather keep it," said Tom.
"I can make better use of it," said the Yankee.
"I don't know about that," said Tom. "At any rate I will keep it."
He felt that it was hardly reasonable to expect him, in the presence ofsuch a danger, to give up his only instrument of defence.
"You are only a boy," said his companion, discontented.
"I can shoot," answered Tom, briefly.
Onthank was not in general an unreasonable man, but danger makes menselfish.
"Give it to me," he said, in a tone of authority, and he tried to wrestit from Tom's hands.
"You shall not have it," exclaimed Tom, indignantly. "Take away yourhand, or I'll shoot you!"
Of course Tom was excited, and would not have carried out his threat,but he was fully resolved to stand up for his rights.
Whether Ebenezer would have yielded the point, being stronger than Tom,is uncertain; but our hero shouted "Look out for the bear!" and theYankee, in alarm, released his hold, and the two entered upon a race, inwhich the Yankee's superior length of limb enabled him to keep the firstplace.
Bruin was now on terra firma, and was on his way, wagging his greathead, developing an alarming rate of speed. Tom was somewhat hamperedby the weapon which he carried, and he was getting out of breath.Onthank was three or four rods ahead of him. The situation had changed,and it was now Tom that was in the greater peril.
"Don't give out, Tom!" called out Ebenezer, encouragingly.
"I won't," gasped Tom, "if I can help it."
"Is he gaining on us?"
"Yes," returned our hero.
"Then I'll try another tree," said Onthank, and he caught a branch, andclambered up into a tree quite similar to the other in which he had beenbesieged.
Tom would gladly have followed his example, but the branch was too highfor him to reach readily, and the grizzly was too near to give himadequate time. Poor boy! He began to despair, and was at an utter losswhat to do. To face round and fire at the foe seemed about all that wasleft him, but he wanted to reserve his fire to the last. He caught sightof another tree, of a larger trunk than the one which Onthank hadascended, and ran towards it, pursued by the grizzly. Then commenced adodging game, which seemed to afford but a brief respite fromdestruction.
"This can't last long," thought poor Tom. "I suppose I must die."
In that brief time of peril many thoughts passed through his mind. Todie at his age would be sad enough; but the thought that his expeditionwould be a failure, only involving his father deeper in difficulty anddebt chiefly troubled him. The mortgage would be foreclosed, and hisfather and whole family deprived of their humble home. Onthank watchedthe boy's peril, unable to give him assistance. To do him justice healmost forgot his own danger in the more apparent and immediate peril ofhis young companion.
"Be careful!" he shouted, quite needlessly. "Don't let him grip you.Give it to him right in the eye."
Tom was so absorbed, and his mind so painfully occupied by his effortsto keep out of his enemy's clutches, that he was not conscious of thewarning.
Active and alert as he was, the result was hardly a matter of doubt. Hewould tire sooner than the bear, and if he ran again he was sure to beovertaken. This, however, was what he did. Of course the grizzlyinstantly pursued him. Poor Tom breathed a prayer for help, though thereseemed no chance of his prayer being answered; but sometimes God sendsassistance when there seems no chance of escape.
The galloping of a horse was heard. There was a whirling sound, andBruin, already within two yards of Tom, was jerked back, and brought toa stand-still by a lasso which wound about his neck. A shout caused Tomsuddenly to turn his head, and to his joy he saw a mounted Mexican_vaquero_, who had brought him timely relief.
Bruin growled angrily on finding himself balked of his prey. He was notdisposed to yield to his new antagonist. Rising and sitting on hishaunches he began coolly to draw in the lasso, against the combinedstrength of man and horse. The muscular force of a big grizzly issimply enormous. Usually he is attacked from two sides, two lassos beingthrown around him. For a single antagonist he is sometimes more than amatch, as seemed likely in the present case. The _rieta_ being attachedto the pommel of the saddle, of course the bear, in pulling as he did,hand over hand, steadily brought the _vaquero_ and his steed nearer. Thehorse, terrified, trembled in every limb, and tried to rear; but hisstrength was as nothing when opposed to the steady power of his massiveantagonist.
Relieved from the immediate attentions of the grizzly, Tom did notcontinue to run, but stood still, and, forgetting his own peril,remained an excited spectator of the struggle between the bear and the_vaquero_.
The Mexican in an excited manner shouted to him to shoot. This broughtTom to a sense of his duty. A third person had been brought into dangerby an effort to give him assistance, and he was too manly to leave himto his fate. He raised his rifle, and, taking quick aim, fired. Ouryoung hero was of course inexperienced, and it was only by a piece ofgood fortune that his bullet inflicted a serious wound, striking thebear in the throat. The blood began to flow and the grizzly, growlingfiercely, slackened his hold on the lasso. The _vaquero_ followed upTom's shot by another, equally effective, and the powerful animaldropped to the ground, dangerous still if approached, but unfitted forpursuit.
The _vaquero_ reined his horse back, and his dark face became illuminedwith a smile of satisfaction.
"He will do no more harm," he said in good English, but with a foreignaccent. "The danger is over."
"Is the critter used up?" shouted Onthank, cautiously, from his elevatedperch. "Is he defunct?"
"He soon will be," answered Tom. "I guess it will be safe to come down."
Ebenezer Onthank needed no second invitation. He "shinned" down the treein a manner not unlike the grizzly, and approached the spot where thehuge foe was lying, the life-blood flowing from his throat.
"I'd like to kick you, you big brute!" said Mr. Onthank.
The bear slowly turned upon him his glazing eyes, and they expressed somuch ferocity that almost involuntarily the Yankee drew back. The bearpartly raised himself, and tried to drag himself towards hisadversaries; but the effort was vain.
"He is one of the largest I have seen," said the _vaquero_. "See howstrong he is!"
"It was lucky for me that you came up," said Tom. "He was almost uponme."
"I had about given you up, Tom," said Onthank, "and I thought my turnwas coming next."
"We are much indebted to you, sir," said Tom, gratefully, to theMexican. "You have saved my life."
The _vaquero_ courteously expressed his satisfaction, and, remountinghis horse, resu
med his journey.
"I never want to see another grizzly," said Onthank. "This one is enoughfor me, darn his ugly pictur'!"
"I quite agree with you, Mr. Onthank," said Tom.