"Yes, a natural one. Come this way, before I unwrap the meat."

The boys forced their way to the south of the large hole, dragging the
still terrified horses, who were not disposed to respond to anything
less persuasive than the spur. Roldan approached the edge of the
excavation and shook the meat loose, flinging the paper after it. As the
smell of fresh beef pervaded the air it was greeted by a growl like
rising thunder, and almost simultaneously the huge unwieldy form of the
bear hurled itself down through the brush. The boys held their breath.
Even Roldan felt a singing in his ears. But the grizzly, without pausing
to ascertain his bearings, went down into the hole at a leap. He made
one mouthful of the meat, then appeared to realise that he was in a
trap. With a roar that made the horses rear and neigh like stricken
things, he flung himself against the sides of his prison, drew back and
leaped clumsily, tore up the earth, and galloped frantically to and fro.
But he was caught like a rat in a trap.

The boys laughed gleefully and remounted their horses, which also seemed
to appreciate the situation, for they had quieted suddenly.

"Adios! Adios!" cried Roldan, as they forced their way up to the trail
the bear had discovered. "You will make a fine skeleton; we will come
back and look at you some day."

But it was not the last they were to see of Bruin in the flesh.

III

An hour later they began to descend the mountain on the other side, and
by dawn espied a ranch house in a valley. The white walls were pink