forward to devour it. And her heart leaped with returning courage.

The bear, its fierce eyes glancing from side to side, was now within
five or six feet of its intended prey. With a shrill cry of warning
and defiance Melindy sprang forward, swinging her axe, and ordered the
beast to "Git out!" She was greatly in hopes that the animal would
yield to the authority of the human voice, and retire abashed.

At any other season, it is probable that the bear would have done just
as she hoped it would. But now, it had the courage of a rampant spring
appetite. Startled it was, and disturbed, at the girl's sudden
appearance and her shrill cry; and it half drew back, hesitating. But
Melindy also hesitated; and the bear was quick to perceive her
hesitation. For a few seconds he stood eyeing her, his head down and
swinging from side to side. Then, seeming to conclude that she was not
a formidable antagonist, he gave vent to a loud, grunting growl, and
lurched forward upon the calf.

With a wild scream, half of fury, half of fear, Melindy also darted
forward, trusting that the animal would not really face her onslaught.
And the calf, terrified at the sudden outcry, staggered to its feet
with a loud bleating.

The bear was just upon it, with great black paw uplifted for the
fatal stroke that would have broken its back, when he saw Melindy's
axe descending. With the speed of a skilled boxer he changed the
direction of his stroke, and fended off the blow so cleverly that the
axe almost flew from the girl's grasp. The fine edge, however, caught
a partial hold, and cleft the paw to the bone.

Furious with the pain, and his fighting blood now thoroughly aroused,
the bear forgot the calf and sprang at his daring assailant.
Light-footed as a cat, the girl leapt aside, just in time, darted over
the fallen trunk, and dodged around the base of the rampike. She
realized that she had undertaken too much, and her only hope now was
that either she would be able to outrun the bear, or that the latter
would turn his attentions again to the calf and forget about her.

The bear, however, had no intention of letting her escape his
vengeance. For all his bulk, he was amazingly nimble and was at her
heels again in a second. Though she might have outstripped him in the
open, he would probably have caught her in the hampering thicket; but
at this crucial moment there came a bellow and a crashing of branches
close behind him, and he whirled about jus