Out with Gun and Camera Part 40

"I am glad we saw Jed," said Shep as they trudged along. "That will save us the trip to town. I hope he gets the circus folks here soon."

"Tommy won't want to see them," said Giant. "He told me he never wanted to see the inside of a circus tent again."

"And I don't blame him," returned Snap. "Well, he can easily keep out of the way, and we needn't say anything about him."

"Wonder what he'll do after we go home?"

"I've got an idea," came from the doctor's son. "Let us take him with us and do what we can to find his sister. If we can't find her, let us see if we can't find a home for him and put him to school. He ought to get an education."

"I'm willing to do what I can," said Snap readily. His eyes brightened.

"We might spend some of that reward for the lion on Tommy. I'd be willing to put in my share."

"So would I," answered Shep.

In the middle of the afternoon they reached a beauwul spot in the mountains, where a rocky stream formed a series of waterfalls. This locality had been mentioned by Dr. Reed, and they spent some time getting different pictures of it, Snap a.s.sisting the others, since he had no camera of his own.

"I hope I get that camera back," he said.

"We all hope that," returned Giant. "The wild man can keep my sock---I shouldn't want to touch it after he had it."

The water at the foot of the falls looked good for fishing, and Giant pleaded for permission to fish for a quarter of an hour or so. This was granted, and he promptly baited up and threw in.

As a consequence he soon caught a beautiful brook trout, and several more followed.

"Wait; I'll take a snapshot of hauling in the next fish," said the doctor's son, and he succeeded in getting a view that later on turned out exceedingly well.

Not having anything else to do, Snap wandered down the brook for a distance of a hundred yards. He was on the point of turning back when he saw something at a distance, moving among the brushwood.

He looked sharply for a moment and then discovered that it was a large black bear.

CHAPTER XXVIII

AFTER A BLACK BEAR

"Shep! Giant! Quick!"

"What's the matter, Snap?"

"A bear! Down the stream! Come on with the guns!" went on Snap excitedly. He had returned hot-footed to where he had left his chums and the firearms.

"Are you sure?" queried the doctor's son as he dropped his camera and grabbed up his shotgun.

"Dead certain---but I don't know how long he will stay there. Oh, if I had only had my gun with me!" groaned Snap. "I could have brought him down as easy as pie!"

"Aren't you going to take your camera?" asked Giant as he drew in his line and took both his photo outfit and his firearm.

"Yes, I forgot," said the doctor's son, and picked up his camera again. "Don't shoot till we get a snapshot," he said to Snap, who, gun in hand, was already off.

"All right; but we don't want to lose the bear," answered the other young hunter.

"Of course not!"

With Snap in the lead, the three boys sneaked swiftly but silently down the mountain brook until they came to the spot from which Snap had discovered the bear. Here they halted, and the others looked enquiringly at their leader.

"I saw him right over yonder," whispered Snap. "Go slow, now, or you'll scare him."

With bated breath the three young hunters advanced down the tiny stream. They gained the shelter of some dense brushwood and gazed around eagerly. Not a sign of a bear was to be seen anywhere.

"Maybe you were dreaming, Snap," murmured Giant.

"No, I wasn't---I saw him just as plain as day."

"Then he must have seen you running back to the pool, and he must have took out, too."

"Perhaps; but I was very careful to keep out of sight."

They advanced a little farther, and now saw ahead of them a slight hollow, where there was another waterfall, sheltered on either side by sharp rocks.

"There he is!" whispered the doctor's son excitedly, and pointed down to the pool at the foot of the falls. The black bear was there, getting a drink.

"We can't take a picture from here," said Giant disappointedly. "What shall we do---fire?"

"Oh, we ought to have a picture of him," pleaded Shep. "It would be just the thing for our collection."

"Let me suggest something," said Snap. "I haven't any camera, so I'll stay here. You two can make a half circle and come up below and kind of head the bear off. If he starts to run before you get ready I'll fire at him."

So it was agreed, and Shep and Giant hurried off without delay, making a wide detour through the woods and over the rocks. They could not help making a little noise, but this was, as they rightfully reasoned, drowned out by the falling of the waters.

In the meantime Snap kept careful watch of the bear. The animal took his time drinking, raising his head several times to look around him.

But he did not turn his gaze upward, and consequently did not discover the young hunter, who stood with weapon aimed, ready to fire at a moment's warning.

Fully five minutes pa.s.sed, and then the bear stretched himself and commenced to sniff the air. Then, of a sudden, he arose on his hind legs to get a better look at his surroundings.

"This is the time they ought to get their pictures," thought Snap.

An instant later he saw something fluttering in the bushes below the pool. Shep and Giant were there and had their cameras in action. The bear continued to stand upright, but presently he dropped on all fours and began to lumber away from the brook at a good rate of speed.

To have waited longer would have been foolish, and taking careful aim, Snap fired his shotgun twice. Scarcely had the two reports rung out than Giant also fired, followed, a few seconds later, by the doctor's son.

The aims of all three of the young hunters were true, and the bear received such a peppering of buckshot that he was seriously if not mortally wounded. He dropped down, dragged himself up again, and roared with rage and pain.

"Give him another!" yelled Snap as he started to reload.

Giant was the first to run into the opening, and as the bear saw the youth he snarled viciously and showed his teeth. He tried to rush at the boy, but Giant discharged the second barrel of his shotgun and the charge took the bear in the head. Then the doctor's son fired again, and hit the animal in the side. This was too much for bruin, and with a rocking motion he staggered forward a few steps and then pitched on his head, dead.

"We've got him! We've got him!" yelled the small youth, dancing around wildly and flinging his cap into the air. "Isn't this the dandy luck?"