Steve Young Part 15

"Yes," said the Norseman in a low tone.

"Shall we fire?" said the doctor huskily, as the bear stayed in its place, swinging its head about, making no sign of either attack or retreat.

"Not yet," replied the captain. "Wait till we can get a shot at the shoulder; a head shot is bad."

But the bear did not seem disposed to offer the side for the purpose of being shot, and turned first one eye and then the other to them--strange reddish-looking eyes, which looked them over in a furtive way, as the regular swinging motion of the head was kept up.

"Will it charge, Johannes?" said the captain.

"Don't know. I think it will begin to run. Be ready. It is sure to charge when it is wounded. We'll take it then on the spears."

At that moment there was a diversion, and the bear raised its head a little to look beyond them.

Steve glanced sharply round to see what the animal was looking at, and became aware of the fact that Andrew McByle was stealing away on tip-toe. This raised Steve's ire, for the thought flashed through his brain that if anybody had a right to run it was he, the boy of the party; and he wanted to make off very badly, but, paradoxical as it may sound, he at the same time did not want to run, but to help shoot the bear.

"Here! hi! Stop!" he shouted angrily; "don't run off with that gun!"

"Ahm only going to tak' oop a fresh poseetion ahint the stanes," said Andrew hurriedly.

No more was said, for the bear now shook itself, making the beautiful thick hair stand out, and giving the huge animal the appearance of growing rapidly in size. It uttered a low, fierce growl now, and its eyes flashed in the sunshine.

"You'll have to fire, Hands...o...b..," said the captain in a low voice; "it's going to charge. No, stop!"

For just then the bear swung its head round to the right and glanced toward the ice, as if looking out for a way of retreat.

"It's going to run," said Jakobsen.

Hardly had the words left his lips than the bear made a rush right at the centre of their line.

_Bang_--_bang_--_bang_! Three shots were fired almost simultaneously, but they did not have the slightest effect, the bear rushing on, and the next minute the doctor was gathering himself up, and the bear was shuffling along the sh.o.r.e, apparently in pursuit of Andrew McByle, who ran on yelling, and fired twice in the air, as if sending the charges of the gun he carried right ahead, where he wished to be.

"Hurt?" cried the captain anxiously, as he held out his hand to the doctor.

"Only the wind knocked out of me," was the panting reply. "Come on."

They re-loaded as they followed the bear at a trot, and to Steve's great delight, there was a sharp barking, for Skene leaped up as the bear pa.s.sed him, and, apparently without much the matter, followed the great beast.

"I don't think we touched him," cried the captain.

"Yes," said Johannes simply, as he ran by Steve's side with his spear at the trail. "Blood."

He pointed to the ground, but Steve said nothing as, full of excitement now, he kept pace with the others in the pursuit.

"Quick!" cried the captain; "fire anywhere now, or the brute will overtake that man."

"Serve him right for being such a coward," muttered the doctor.

The bear was some fifty yards before them, and Andrew McByle another fifty, but with the bear gaining upon him fast, it being astonishing how rapidly the great unwieldy animal could shuffle over the rough ground.

Just then Andrew looked back over his shoulder at his pursuer, uttered a wild yell, threw away the rifle, and with his hands in the air ran on faster.

"I can't fire for fear of hitting the man," panted the captain; and then he uttered a cry of satisfaction, for, in his alarm, Andrew had made for broken ground, tripped over a rock, and fell heavily, whilst the bear uttered a fierce roar.

"Halt!" shouted the captain, bending on one knee, as Andrew disappeared, having plumped himself behind a huge block of stone.

Steve followed his leader's example, and fired directly after, aiming as carefully as possible at the running beast.

"Missed!" muttered Steve.

"I think that touched him!" cried the captain, hurriedly opening the breech of his piece and thrusting in another cartridge.

"Yes, that stopped him," said the doctor, as the bear swung round and bit viciously at a spot somewhere about the centre of its back.

Then the doctor fired, but his shot had no effect save to draw the animal's attention to its pursuers, and it came at them at once, showing its teeth now viciously, while the two Nors.e.m.e.n placed themselves on either side of the little party ready for the attack.

The captain took careful aim now, and fired, making the bear jerk its head; but the bullet had made little impression, for the brute came on till Skene made a dash at its nose, when the animal swung round just as the captain was re-loading.

"Fire, both of you--now!" cried the captain excitedly; but only the doctor drew trigger, hitting their quarry somewhere about the hip.

Steve did not fire; he could not have told why, but knelt on one knee with his piece ready, and conscious of the fact that one of the big Nors.e.m.e.n was at his right shoulder with the great lance held presented over his head.

Skene kept on hara.s.sing the bear and taking off its attention; but a bullet now struck it in so sharp a way that it ignored the dog, and came rushing toward its enemies open-mouthed, blood and foam making its white teeth look horrible, and in spite of another shot came close up, rose on its hind legs, towering above the kneeling men, with its paws separated to strike, when almost together both barrels of Steve's piece were fired right into the animal's chest, and as it uttered a savage roar the lances of the two Nors.e.m.e.n were driven into it and rapidly withdrawn.

The effect was instantaneous: the monster threw itself over and lay upon its back, tearing at the air for a few moments, and then subsided slowly on to one side--dead, Skene leaping upon the carca.s.s to give vent to a triumphant burst of barking, while the captain shook hands with the doctor, and then clapped Steve on the shoulder.

"Well done! Bravo!" he cried. "Splendid shots, just at the right moment; couldn't have been better."

"Couldn't it?" said Steve, speaking feebly, for he felt rather ashamed of the praise, and at the same time a kind of regret for having played so prominent a part in the death of the animal.

He must have shown this in his face, for the captain said:

"It's quite right, my lad. These bears are dangerous, destructive beasts, and would have given us no mercy. Besides, we must get a cargo to take back."

A hail brought up the sailors, who were sent back in the boat for the other two Nors.e.m.e.n, while Johannes and Jakobsen, after carefully cleaning the blades of their lances, laid them against a rock, took off their jackets, rolled up their sleeves, and then, taking out their knives, began to skin the great bear.

At this time Andrew came up limping.

"Well, brave man!" said the doctor; "wounded?"

"Ah, she can be brave eneuch when there's ony occasion, sir," said Andrew. "But she never war grand at fechting bear, and she thocht she'd get oot o' the way o' the shooting."

"And you did," said the captain contemptuously. "There, go and fetch that piece you threw away."

"Nay, it slippit oot o' my fingers, sir. It was after she'd fired it, though."

"The least said the soonest mended, McByle," said the captain coldly.

"You had better hold your tongue, and go and find that rifle. I may as well tell you, though, that my opinion of your bravery is not very high."

"Nay, sir, dinna be hard upon a puir mon. Ye dinna ken a' aboot me the yet."