Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho

by Harry Castlemon

  CHAPTER V.

  A RUNNING FIGHT.

  It was one of Dick's sayings that bear-hunting was a "business byitself"--as much so as book-keeping or steamboating; and Frank andArchie had been in California long enough to learn that the trappertold the truth in this, as in other matters. It was a favorite pastimewith the settlers in that section of the country, and the cousins hadseen as many as thirty men take part in a single hunt. They weregenerally divided into two parties: some went in the drive--that is,they followed the hounds, and if the bear was brought to bay by them,they signaled to their companions with their hunting horns. The otherswere scattered about among the mountains, watching the "runaways," andholding themselves in readiness to shoot the bear if he attempted topass by them. This was the part our four boys always took in abear-hunt, and they had engaged in so many during the last few weeks,that they began to consider themselves experts in the business. Theyhad never killed a grizzly, but they could boast of having had anexciting fight with one. How it would have ended it is hard to tell.The boys were getting the worst of it (by that we mean that the bearwas charging upon them, and they were running for dear life toward theplace where they had left their horses), when Mr. Harris, who happenedto be near at hand, came up and put an end to the fight by shootingthe bear through the head. The boys afterward had reason to wish thathe had stayed away a few minutes longer; for all the hunters in thesettlement laughed at them, and Mr. Harris created a great deal ofamusement by showing how Johnny looked when he was running through thebushes, with his coat-tails sticking straight out behind him. Theydefended themselves against the charge of cowardice with a good dealof spirit, and did not, by any means, acknowledge themselves whipped.They affirmed that it was their intention to draw the bear into openground, and continue the fight on horseback; but the old huntersrefused to believe this story, and the boys solemnly avowed that, ifthey ever got a fair chance, they would show them that they could killa bear as well as any body. Now they had an opportunity to try theirskill on Old Davy, and this was the time to make good their boasts.The result of this day's work would be a fair test of their abilitiesas bear-hunters. There were no dogs to worry the grizzly, and noexperienced men, with quick eyes and steady hands, to ride up andrescue them if they came to close quarters with their enemy. They hadno one to depend upon but themselves; and, if they killed the bear,the glory would be all their own.

  "I am going to have one more shot at that fellow before I leave him,"said Archie, with as much apparent indifference as though he wasspeaking of shooting at a squirrel. "He'll never rob any more cow-penswhen I am done with him."

  The boys were all wonderfully brave and reckless now that theyimagined themselves safe from the claws of the grizzly: but when theyreached the bottom of the ravine, and found that their situation therewas not much better than it had been on the mountain-side, theircourage all left them again, and they had nothing more to say aboutshooting Old Davy. They were really in more danger now than they hadbeen before, for they had but one way to run. On two sides of themwere precipitous cliffs, which could not be scaled on horseback;behind them was the grizzly; and in front an almost impenetrable wallof bushes shut them off from the prairie beyond. They took this all inat a glance, and, knowing that there was but one way of escape open tothem, they urged their horses forward at increased speed, and dashedpell-mell into the bushes, where, a moment afterward, they foundthemselves brought to a dead halt. Their horses, snorting with terror,exerted themselves to the utmost, but without making any perceptibleheadway, and but a short distance behind them came the bear, lumberingalong as easily as though the bushes, which effectually checked theirprogress, had been nothing more than so many straws in his way. Itwas a critical moment, and more than one among the young hunters gavehimself up for lost. Beyond a doubt it would have been the lastbear-hunt for somebody, had it not been for the coolness and courageof Frank Nelson. Seeing that the grizzly was gaining rapidly, and thathe would certainly overtake them before they could work their way outof the bushes, he very deliberately slung his rifle over his shoulder,and drew one of his revolvers. Reining in his plunging, frantic horse,he faced about in his saddle, and took a deliberate aim at the bear'shead.

  "Shoot close, Frank," said Johnny, whose horse seemed to be hopelesslyentangled in the bushes. "If you miss, somebody is done for."

  With almost breathless anxiety his companions awaited the result ofhis shot; and when the smoke of the revolver had cleared away, and OldDavy was seen struggling on the ground, the shout that went up fromfour pairs of strong lungs was almost deafening.

  "Hurrah for the champion rifle-shot!" yelled Dick. "He's down!"

  "But he's up again!" exclaimed Frank, "Push ahead, fellows!"

  During the delay occasioned by Frank's lucky shot, short as it was,the boys gained considerable ground; and before the grizzly was fairlyon his feet again, they had worked their way out of the bushes intothe bed of a creek which ran through the ravine. As the water was buta few inches deep, it formed an excellent highway; and, with anothershout, the boys gave rein to their horses, which set off at a rapidgallop, leaving Old Davy far in the rear. They were safe now, andtheir courage rose again.

  "Isn't there any way to get the better of that fellow?" asked Archie."If we can induce him to follow us out on the prairie, I'll ride homeafter Dick Lewis. He'll fix him."

  "Oh, he will follow us," replied Johnny: "you need not be at alluneasy about that. I guess you haven't learned much about grizzliesyet."

  Archie thought of the adventures he had had with these animals when heand his friends were encamped at the Old Bear's Hole, and told himselfthat he had learned a good deal about them; perhaps quite as much ashis friend Johnny, who had lived among them all his life.

  "I declare, he's coming now," continued the latter, looking over hisshoulder. "I don't believe we have hurt him at all."

  The others were of the same opinion. Old Davy made headwayastonishingly for an animal that had five bullets in him, and duringthe next ten minutes they did not gain on him more than a stone'sthrow. But that did not cause them any uneasiness. They knew that thegrizzly could not overtake them as long as the way was clear beforethem, and as they dashed along they discussed the best means ofconquering their dreaded enemy. When they got him out on the prairieshould they stop and fight him, or go home after the trapper? Theyknew that they would gain a good deal of honor, if they could exhibitthe grizzly's skin as a trophy of their prowess, but they were so muchafraid of him that they did not want to permit him to come withinshooting distance of them again, if they could avoid it. They did nothave time, however, to come to any decision on these points, for theysuddenly discovered something that drove all their plans for OldDavy's destruction out of their minds, and turned their thoughts to amatter of much more importance--their own safety. As they swept aroundan abrupt bend in the creek, they found themselves brought to astandstill by a huge tree which had fallen across the ravine. Againstthe body of the tree was piled a mass of smaller logs and branches,which had probably lodged there during high water, the whole formingan obstruction at least seven feet in height. They could not go aroundit, because of the cliffs on each side; and they dared not turn back,for there was the grizzly close behind them. They were fairlycornered.

  The boys became appalled when they saw the danger of their situation,and for a moment they sat in their saddles as motionless as if theyhad been turned into stone. Then a glance over their shoulders showedthem that the grizzly still kept up the pursuit; and that once morearoused them.

  "What shall we do?" asked Archie, turning his pale face toward hiscousin, to whom he always looked for advice and assistance in timesof danger.

  Frank's answer was not given in words. When they first discovered theobstruction in their path, they had stopped their horses, and duringthe half a minute of inactivity that preceded Archie's question, Frankhad taken a survey of the situation, and determined upon his course.The others knew what it was when they saw him bend forward in hissaddle, an
d gather his reins firmly in his hand.

  "You can't do it!" Dick almost gasped. "It is too high."

  Before the words were fairly uttered, Frank's horse was flying downthe ravine at the top of his speed. For a moment the gravel and waterflew about in all directions, then there was a crushing among thebranches which had lodged against the body of the tree, and Frank haddisappeared from view. His horse had jumped the log; and if the otherscould be induced to follow, the young hunters were safe.

  "I did it easily enough, didn't I?" shouted Frank, waving his hat tohis companions. "Come on, fellows. It's your only chance."

  As soon as he could stop his horse he turned to wait for the others.Then for the first time he realized how high the obstruction was--whata tremendous jump his horse must have made to carry him safely overit--and he trembled when he saw his companions preparing to followhim. As he sat in his saddle, he could just look over the log andwatch their movements. A very slight accident--a single instant'shesitation on the part of one of their horses--might result in aterrible tragedy.

  Johnny was the first to take the leap. In response to a light touchfrom his spurs, his horse arose in the air and sailed over the loglike a bird. Two of them were safe, and their courage arose againwonderfully: but now misfortunes befell them. Archie's horse made anawkward start, and striking his fore-feet against a branch of thetree, fell rather than jumped over the obstruction, dashing his riderwith stunning violence to the ground. Dick's horse came on gallantlyenough, but stopped when he reached the log, laid back his ears, andstubbornly refused to move an inch in any direction. Johnny turnedwhite with terror, and the ramrod with which Frank was driving home aball in his rifle, trembled like a leaf in his grasp. There was Archielying stunned and bleeding where he had fallen, Dick on a balky horse,which only kicked viciously when his rider touched him with his spurs,and the bear close behind, and coming on as fiercely as ever.

  Frank gazed in bewilderment and dismay at the scene before him, andhis first impulse was to put spurs to his horse and ride away, that hemight not see what would follow when the grizzly came up. But thatfeeling was short-lived. He knew that neither Archie nor Dick wouldhave deserted him had he been in their situation, and if he could notsave them, he would, at least, have the satisfaction of knowing thathe had done what he could.

  "Johnny," he exclaimed, in a voice which to save his life he couldscarcely raise above a whisper, "can you take Archie in front of you?"

  "Hand him up here," was Johnny's reply. "I'll take care of him."

  "Dick," continued Frank, "jump down from that horse, and mountArchie's."

  Dick was prompt to act upon the suggestion. He threw himself from hishorse, which he sincerely hoped would stand where he was until OldDavy could get his claws upon him, tumbled over the log, and in amoment more was safe in Archie's saddle. Frank, in the mean time, hadraised his cousin from the ground, and placed him upon Johnny's horse;and by the time the grizzly came in sight, the boys were ready tocontinue their flight.

  "Ride for life, now, Johnny," said Frank. "Remember that you have gota double load, and don't spare the whip."

  "Don't be uneasy," was the answer. "I've a splendid horse, and I won'tbe long"----

  Another misfortune cut short Johnny's words. If his horse was asplendid animal, he was also a most vicious one, and he did not liketo carry double. No sooner did he feel Archie's weight on his back,than he set off at a furious pace, and suddenly throwing down hishead, sent both his heels high into the air. Johnny, being anexcellent horseman, and always on the watch for such eccentricities,would have had no difficulty in retaining his seat, had not thesaddlegirth parted with a loud snap, throwing him and Archie headlongto the ground.

  "Did any body ever hear of such luck!" growled Johnny, who was on hisfeet almost as soon as he touched the ground. "Come here, Dick; you'llhave to take him now."

  He gave one parting glance at his horse, which was flying down theravine, and then raised his insensible companion in his arms, and rantoward Dick, who galloped up to meet him. The former took the woundedhunter upon his horse and continued his flight, while Johnny picked uphis gun, and drew a bee-line for the nearest tree.

  While this was going on, Frank had finished loading his rifle, anddismounted from his horse, and was now standing in front of the log,awaiting the approach of the grizzly, and ready to carry out hisself-imposed task of covering the retreat of the others. In one handhe held his bridle, and in the other his trusty weapon, which heraised to his shoulder now and then, as he caught sight of the grizzlythrough the branches of the tree. He knew that every thing dependedupon the result of this shot, and he was resolved that he would notfire until a fair mark was presented. He tried to argue himself intothe belief that Old Davy was a squirrel, and that he could easily puta ball into one of his eyes at a distance of fifty yards. He recalledto mind some of the excellent shots he had made during the last fewdays, and tried hard to keep up his courage by telling himself that itwas seldom indeed that he missed his mark. Still he did misssometimes, and what would be the result if he missed now? His lifewould not be worth a moment's purchase. He would not have time tomount before the grizzly would be close upon him. But even if he didsucceed in making his escape, how far could Dick's horse carry hisdouble load before he would be overtaken? Once more Frank raised hisrifle, and just at that moment Old Davy's head and shoulders appearedabove the log, not more than ten feet distant. His mouth was open,showing a frightful array of teeth, his ears were laid back close tohis head, his eyes seemed to shoot forth angry sparks of fire, and,altogether, his appearance was enough to shake the strongest nerves.But Frank's were as firm as a rock. The trusty rifle was held assteadily as though it were a part of him it had served so long andfaithfully; and just as the grizzly's fore-feet touched the ground, asharp report rang through the ravine, and for an instant the smokeconcealed both hunter and bear from the view of Johnny, who, from hisperch in a neighboring tree, had watched all that was going on beforehim with breathless anxiety. When the smoke cleared away he saw Frankstanding erect and unharmed, and Old Davy lying motionless where hehad fallen. Frank's bullet had reached its mark.