CHAPTER VII
BEARS AND OTHER TROUBLES
NOR was there any doubt about the correctness of Noll Terry's guess.
He had only time to back against the ledge when the bear from the rear, uttering a nasty, growling snarl, leaped straight for him.
But Noll had braced the butt of his rifle against the ledge, the bayonet up.
It was no plan on Terry's part. He did it either instinctively or through sheer luck.
In the meantime the male bear, showing two fearsome rows of teeth, was crawling over the ledge from outside to get at Hal Overton.
Let it be frankly stated, Hal's teeth were almost a-chatter. He was scared all the way through, but he did not lose his head.
Shooting back the bolt of his rifle, he reached for another cartridge.
He had already used one, and only six to a man had been issued on this period of field duty.
There was no time to slip in the cartridge. Overton was compelled to leap up straight and club his gun.
Thump! Down came the butt of the weapon with a force that would have cracked the skull of a man.
But bruin merely stumbled.
Just then another thump sounded, followed instantly by a snarl of pain.
The she bear had sprung straight for Noll, but rifle and bayonet were in the way.
Noll held his gun rigidly, though not by calculation. All but frozen with terror he would not have been capable of action.
So the flying bear struck squarely against the bayonet, hurling herself with her whole weight and momentum against the point of the steel.
But the bayonet did not touch a vital spot. There was still a big amount of fight left in the she bear.
As she lurched backward the huge beast almost jerked the rifle out of Noll's hands, for the bayonet was still deeply embedded.
At the instant of clubbing his gun Hal had had his cartridge in one of his hands.
Now young Private Overton loaded faster than ever he had been able to do in drill.
Bang! The sharp report rang almost deafeningly in the narrow confines at the mouth of the cave back of the ledge.
Hal had shot his bear, though he had not inflicted a mortal hurt.
But bruin backed off, snarling, desiring to study the scene for a second or two before deciding on further attack.
That nearly stunning report had the effect of bringing Noll to his senses. He had a cartridge in his chamber. Cocking the piece, he pulled the trigger feverishly.
He inflicted another wound on the she bear, though he did not put that maddened animal out of business. Yet the beast drew back so sharply that Private Terry was able to free his bayonet from entanglement.
"Fix your bayonet, Hal, if you have a chance," shouted Noll Terry, as he now leaped gallantly after the maddened animal that was claiming his attention.
Hal did, not a moment too soon, for now bruin was at him again.
Two quick, sharp thrusts Hal made, the first just as bruin was rising on his hind feet to advance to hug the young soldier.
The second thrust tapped bruin on the left shoulder just as he sank to all fours.
Then Private Overton turned sick again, as he saw the dripping fangs of the beast come closer.
Darting back a dozen feet, Overton, in frantic haste, jammed in his third cartridge.
"Steady, boy!" he urged himself. "This is for your life!"
Bruin made a spring. The muzzle of the rifle was not four feet from the male bear's heart as Hal Overton pulled the trigger.
That was the end of bruin. The beast fell and rolled over on his side.
Like a flash Hal turned to see what help his bunkie needed.
Plenty of it, apparently, for Noll, crowded back to the wall, was making furious drives with his bayoneted gun in his efforts to keep the she bear from leaping and forcing him down to the ground.
Hal had to think like lightning.
He decided on a cartridge.
Slipping back his bolt, and thus ejecting the cartridge shell in the chamber, Overton jammed fresh ammunition home.
Click! shot the bolt faintly.
Dropping to one knee, in the gloom Hal aimed, as nearly as he could judge, just behind the left fore-shoulder of the she bear. Then he pulled on the trigger just as the she bear sprang at Noll Terry.
At the report the she bear toppled over with a grunt of pain. Noll leaped forward, thrusting his bayonet time after time.
Private Overton, clubbing his rifle, delivered several forceful whacks over the head of the expiring animal, which then lay quiet.
"We've settled their case, Noll," Hal remarked in an awed voice.
"Glad of it," quoth Noll dryly.
To their ears now came a whining further back in the cave.
"More bears?" asked Noll grimly. "If so, I'm in favor of sounding a retreat."
"And I'll be with you," agreed Soldier Hal. "But wait a second. I've a box of blazer matches with me. First, slip all your cartridges into your magazine."
Both soldiers did this. Then Hal, striking a blazer match, led the way back into the cave.
"Poor little beggars," he muttered suddenly. "I thought so."
"What?" asked Noll, stepping forward.
"Look."
"Cubs!"
"No wonder the old she bear was savage," glowed Noll.
On a rude bed of dried leaves and twigs tumbled five furry, fuzzy, whining little bear cubs.
"We've broken up a family's happiness this night," muttered Hal, looking down.
"Well, it was their family, or two bunkies," retorted Noll, nevertheless feeling almost ashamed as he bent down over the innocent, harmless, bereaved little cubs.
"Shall we put 'em out of their misery?" asked Hal.
"I—I haven't the heart to."
"Well, I'm afraid I haven't that kind of heart, either. But, see here, Noll!"
"Well?"
"We're in the heart of the enemy's country. If one of C Company's scouting detachments comes this way I don't want them to find the two dead bears and take 'em away in triumph. It would be treason to our own B Company to let C Company come in for an unearned feast on nice, juicy bear steaks."
"That's so," agreed Noll.
"Help me, and we'll drag both carcasses back into the extreme inner end of the cave. Then, if Captain Cortland approves, he can send men here and it will be B Company that'll feast on bear steaks."
Both bunkies worked industriously until this task had been accomplished.
"Speaking of bear steaks," announced Hal, "makes me realize that I'm famished myself. Now, as we're clear off the trail of B Company—and that's no dream—we'll have to put in the night finding our comrades. So a few minutes spent munching hardtack won't count."
"And not forgetting the salted almonds we bought in the village this afternoon," rejoined the other young soldier.
Down on the floor of the cave the bunkies squatted themselves.
The work of eating absorbed both for the next few minutes.
Then, of a sudden, they halted, astonished.
Human footsteps sounded on the rocks outside.
Privates Overton and Terry stopped their eating, neither venturing to speak, for a voice outside was saying:
"Sergeant, instruct the men not to light fires. They'll have to sup on hard tack alone to-night. Fires would betray us to the enemy."
Then Hal placed his mouth close to Noll's ear and whispered:
"Bunkie, we're pickled!"
Noll pressed his comrade's arm understandingly.
"Pickled and sealed in jars," Hal's whisper continued. "C Company is camping here, and we'll be prisoners inside of a minute. And, great Scott—C Company eats the bear steaks!"