The Greatest Works of Emerson Hough – 19 Books in One Volume (Illustrated Edition). Emerson Hough
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its footing. John fired again, and to his shame be it said that this time his bullet went wild. At his side, however, Leo, brave as a soldier, stood firm, rapidly working the lever of his own rifle. John recovered presently and joined in. In a few seconds, although it seemed long to the younger hunter, their double fire had accounted for the grizzly, which rolled over and expired very close to them, its body caught in its descent by two or three trees.
Meantime — although John declared he never had heard it — there came from below the roar of the rifles of Jesse and Uncle Dick. The second bear, perhaps more wary than its mate or perhaps warmer from its digging, had left the open space and taken shelter in a little clump of green bushes close to the point where the two hunters approached the slide. When the sound of firing began above, this bear, much excited, began to plunge wildly this way and that inside the clump of bushes. At last it broke cover almost upon Jesse, who was standing in front.
“Shoot!” called Uncle Dick, in quick command; and Jesse fired, almost without aim, into what seemed a great gray mass which ran as though directly over him. Almost at the same instant Uncle Dick fired also and then, like their companions above, they both fired rapidly as they could until their bear also at last lay quiet, but dangerously close at hand.
Uncle Dick pushed back his hat and wiped his forehead, looking at Jesse half quizzically. “Son,” said he, “it’s lucky we both were here. That bear was either badly scared or good and angry. It meant business, I believe, and it’s a lucky thing we stopped it when we did.”
Jesse put his rifle to the ground and stood trembling all over. “Well, Uncle Dick,” said he, “I don’t know whether or not the bear was scared, but I know I am right now.”
“It’s just as well to be honest,” said his uncle, putting a hand kindly on his shoulder. “Any man has a right to be anxious in as close a corner as this.”
They heard the loud hallo of John now, a little way above them; and presently Leo came slipping down toward them, smiling broadly.
“Kill ’um two bear!” said he. “Plenty good hunt, eh?” He looked at the little heap of empty shells lying so close to the dead bear.
“Two grizzlum, both fight,” said he. “Bad bear. Heap shoot ’um.”
“And I’m mighty glad we’re no worse off,” said Uncle Dick, when in turn they had passed from one of the great grizzlies to the other. “And, speaking of luck, you boys certainly have had it in every way. Leo, it looks to me as though you put us up almost too close on these bears.”
“No see ’um from trees,” said Leo. “I like shoot ’um bear close up. Heap shoot ’um. This boy he heap shoot ’um too.”
“All is well that ends well,” said their leader. “Now here we are again, with two big bear-hides to get down out of these mountains. Are you satisfied, boys — good and plenty satisfied?”
“I should say so,” said Jesse, smiling; and they all laughed at him.
“I don’t know that I ever knew of a better hunt,” said Uncle Dick, at last, looking approvingly at the two bears. They had rolled and pulled the upper bear down to the lower, so that they now lay side by side. “Three bears like this in two days is certainly considerable hunting. These are big as Rob’s bear. The robes are prime, too, and not rubbed to amount to anything — one dark silver tip and one gray fellow. You can’t ever tell what color a grizzly is going to have or what he is going to do.”
They fell to work now, each party skinning out its own bear, a task which kept them employed for some time.
“We’d better kill the next bears closer to the foot of the slide,” said Jesse, laughing. “Then we won’t have to carry the skins so far.”
“A good idea,” assented his uncle. “I’m telling you, a full-sized grizzly-hide, green, is all a strong man can pack.”
“We’ll not try to carry them down to the main camp, will we?” inquired Jesse.
“Indeed, no. We’ll be lucky if we make it back to last night’s camp down the valley. There’s a bare chance that we may meet Moise and George there. They won’t know where we are, unless they heard us shooting.”
Leo came up to them at about this time, and stood looking at Jesse’s bear for some time. “S’pose me get ’um two twenty dollar, now?” said he, looking at Uncle Dick. The latter looked at him quizzically for a time, rubbing his chin with a finger.
“Well, Leo,” said he, “you’re a pretty good business man as well as a good grizzly-hunter. So you want to cash in on our bear, do you? All right; I feel so good about it that I’ll just go you — you shall have twenty dollars a head for these bears — and sixty dollars in two days, besides your wages, ought to leave you and your cousin George pretty well satisfied, eh?”
“Yes, feel heap good,” said Leo, grinning. “Buy plenty flour now. Plenty grub on Fort George.”
“You’re no better satisfied than we are, my friend,” rejoined the white hunter. Leo extended his hand, and they shook hands all around.
“I’m willing to go on down the river now,” said John; and Jesse smiled his assent.
With some labor they squared the two hides into a portable pack, one for each of the men, binding them into place with bits of thongs which each carried at his belt. Then, using their belts as tump-straps, Leo and Uncle Dick shouldered their heavy loads and started down the mountain.
XXIII
ONWARD BOUND
They had gone down the valley only about half a mile, now and then splashing through the shallow fords of the meandering little stream which spread all over the flat, gravelly floor of the valley, when they heard a shout and saw Moise advancing rapidly toward them. That worthy came up smiling, as usual, and beginning to talk before he came within good ear-range.
“Hollo!” he cried. “Some more bear? Plenty bear now, this tam?”
Uncle Dick halted and dropped his pack to the ground. “Welcome! Moise,” said he. “I don’t know that I ever was gladder to see you in my life — this load is heavy.”
“I’ll take heem,” said Moise. “My faith, she’s big bear, heem, too, eh? Two beeg bear” — and he lifted also the other pack which Leo had dropped down. “I hear you shoot when I come on the camp here, and I say to myself, ‘Moise, those boy he kill more bear, sure.’ Bime-by I come up, help you get load down the hill. George, he’s make cup tea on the camp; Rob, he’s down below on the big camp, on the boat.
“Didn’t I told you, Leo,” continued Moise, exultantly, “those boy, she’s the most best grizzly-hunter ever come on the Tête Jaune Cache, heem?” And Leo this time grinned his assent and approval.
They now made their way back to the bivouac camp where they had passed the night, and where they were much refreshed by a lunch and a cup of tea all around, after which they made ready to get back down to the valley of the Canoe as rapidly as possible. All the men had particularly heavy loads to carry, and even the boys took on light packs of blankets or camp equipment.
They made the journey around the point of the mountain and down into the Creek Valley which ran into the Canoe without much incident, except that on the side-hill snowdrifts George, carrying one of the bear-hides, slipped by reason of a broken foothold in the thawing snow, and had a considerable roll downhill with his load before he brought up against a little tree. To the others this seemed a dangerous experience; but Leo, like any other Indian, found it only laughable, and he derided George for some time in their own language. George seemed very much chagrined, for no Indian likes to make a mistake or be humiliated in the presence of others.
As may be supposed, Rob greeted them, on their arrival at the main