This last remark was excited by the carcass, which he kicked, and which
shook like a mountainous mass of jelly; and as he passed around it he
gained a fair idea of the immense proportions of the bear, in whose grasp
he would have been as helpless as in that of a royal Bengal tiger.

"Whew! but he came mighty close to me! When I fell down I expected to feel
his paws on me before I could get up. In a few seconds more it would have
been all up with me."

Several minutes passed, and nothing was seen of the Irishman, whereupon
the lad concluded he might as well go back and gather the wood, which
would be needed at the camp-fire.

"I wonder if there's any more of them," he muttered, as he began picking
his way among the rocks. "If there are, why Mickey must look out for me."

He found the sticks just as he had thrown them down and he proceeded to
regather them, keeping a careful watch for another dangerous visitor. All
remained quiet, however, and, making his way down the wooded slope into
the open area, he looked back and found that he was still alone. So it
continued until he returned to where the two mustangs were tethered. There
he carefully adjusted the sticks and prepared everything, after which he
began to feel some impatience at the non-appearance of his friend.

"He must see more fun in that kind of thing than I do. There's no telling
what has become of those six Apaches we left down in the cave. I feel sure
that they've got above ground again. It won't take long for them to find
their mustangs, or some other horses, and they may be a mile away, and
there may be other parties close by. Halloa!"