ng, whose bronze hue as surely
proclaimed one of the Aztec children from yonder Lost City.

What was to be done? Disobey their uncle, or leave this lad to perish?

CHAPTER XVIII. SOMETHING LIKE A WHITE ELEPHANT.

Only a lad, slight-limbed and slenderly framed to the eye, yet for all
that gifted with a gallant heart, else he surely must have been cowed to
terror by the huge bulk of such a dire adversary at close quarters.

Instead of trying to find safety in headlong flight, the Indian stood
at bay, with both hands firmly gripping the shaft of his copper-bladed
spear, at far too close quarters for employing bow and arrows, while the
copper knife in his sash was held in reserve for still closer work.

Snarling, growling, displaying its great teeth while clumsily waving
enormous paws which bore talons of more than a finger-length, the
bear was balanced upon its hindquarters, evidently just ready to lurch
forward with striking paws and gnashing teeth.

Its enormous weight would prove more than sufficient to end the contest
ere it fairly began, while a slight stroke from those taloned paws would
both slay and mutilate.

No one was better aware of all this than the Indian lad himself, yet he
took the initiative, swiftly darting his spear forward, lending to
its keen point all the power of both arms and body. A suicidal act it
certainly appeared, yet one which could scarcely make his position more
perilous.

An awful roar burst from bruin as he felt that thrust, the blade sinking
deep and biting shrewdly; but then he plunged forward, striking savagely
as he dropped.

The Indian strove to leap backward an instant after delivering his
stroke, but still clung to the spear-shaft. This hampered his action
to a certain degree, yet in all probability that stout ashen shaft
preserved his life, which that wound would otherwise have forfeited.

The stroke but brushed a shoulder, nor did a claw take fair effect, yet
the stripling was felled to earth as though smitten by a thunderbolt.

All this before the brothers could solve the enigma thus offered them so
unexpectedly; but that fall, and the awful rage displayed by the wounded
grizzly as he briefly reared erect to grind asunder the spearshaft,
decided the white lads, and, temporarily forgetting how dangerously nigh
were yonder Aztecan hosts, both Bruno and Waldo opened fire with their
Winchester rifles, sending shot after shot in swift succession into the
bulky brute, f