CHAPTER XXII.

THE "VACANT CHAIR."


It is hard to imagine a more trying situation than that of Master
Herbert Watrous, who, while walking along a path in the woods, saw by
the faint moonlight what he believed to be the figure of an enormous
black bear, sitting on its haunches, and waiting for him to move either
forward or backward before springing upon him.

He shuddered with fear, but, with a courage hardly to be expected in his
case, he drew up his rifle, sighted as best he could, and fired
point-blank at the brute, when no more than a rod separated the two.

It was impossible to miss, even with such an unsteady aim, and the lad
had not a particle of doubt that he had hit him; but had he inflicted a
mortal wound?

Without waiting an unnecessary second, Herbert flung out the shell of
the cartridge and placed a new one in the breech. His hands trembled so
that he could hardly keep from dropping it, but he succeeded better than
would have been supposed.

Once more the gun was raised, and the leaden missile was buried in the
dark object.

But it did not stir, and the amazed lad was transfixed. What did it