understand who had wounded him last, and, although
closer to Fred than to his companion, he swerved to the left and headed
for Jack Dudley. The latter did not stay on the order of his going, but
made off at his highest speed. Brief as was the halt, it wrought a
complete change of situation. Whereas Fred had been in the greatest
danger, Jack was now thus placed, because the grizzly was closer to him.
Not only that, but, ignoring the younger lad, he gave his whole
attention to Jack.

Events were going with such a rush that the boys were almost overwhelmed
before they could help themselves. Fred supposed the bear was at his
heels until, having run a couple of rods, he glanced over his shoulder
and saw the imminent peril of Jack. Then, with a thrill of alarm, he in
his turn checked his flight, and bringing his Winchester to a level
drove a bullet into the immense head of the brute, which by that time
had received a respectable amount of lead in his carcass.

But "old Ephraim" seemed to have determined to dispose of the fugitives
in the reverse order of their ages; that is to say, having changed his
attentions to Jack Dudley, he did not mean to be diverted therefrom,
even though the younger lad was showing disagreeable interest in him.

This peculiar turn of affairs gave Fred his favorable chance; and,
standing motionless, he continued his miniature bombardment as fast as
he could shove the cartridges into the chamber of his weapon, aim, and
fire. Surely the bullets, all of which found a lodgment somewhere in the
anatomy of the monster, must have produced an effect, but they could not
divert him from his main purpose. He bore down upon the apparently
doomed Jack Dudley as if he would not be denied.

This fact caused Fred to be thrown partly to the rear, so that the
remarkable combat took the form of the grizzly pursuing one of the boys,
while the other boy was pursuing the grizzly. The position of Fred,
however, thus became unfavorable, for he was unable to aim at any
vulnerable portion of the creature. He continued firing into his body,
but the bullets produced no perceptible effect in this fight for life.

Meanwhile the situation of Jack Dudley became perilous to the last
degree. To stop and fire insured his certain seizure by the grizzly, who
would require but a moment to tear the life from him. Jack saw him so
near, indeed, that he did that which no person would do except in the
last extremity. He flung away his rif