"He is so anxious to get the animal that he doesn't know the risk he is
running. The fight you had with the buck yesterday shows what a more
harmless animal will do when he turns to fight the hunter."

"But Herbert will be likely to wait till we come up to him if he sees
the bear."

"There's no telling what such a fellow will do when he loses his head;
the only chance for him is that we may be so close that we can turn in
and help him."

"Then we had better hurry."

Thereupon the two broke into a run again, which they kept up till pretty
well tired out.

They could hear Bowser baying at no great distance, and, consequently,
were sure that Herbert himself was not far off.

"If we three come upon him we ought to be able to kill him without much
risk to ourselves--that is, if we use any sort of care in taking aim."

"We must try and do that--hark!"

At that instant they were startled by the sharp report of a rifle, the
distance and direction leaving no doubt that it was fired by Herbert
Watrous.

Sam and Nick fairly turned pale, and something like a feeling of envy
came over them at the belief that Herbert, after all his boasting, had