g, but Alex whispered to the
young hunters not to be disturbed, for that possibly the bear might
lie up or go to feeding in some other ravine not far on ahead.

"You'd better wait here, I think," said he at last, as they approached
the top of a little ridge, where evidently another coulee came down.

He began slowly to climb toward the top, from which he could get a
view of the other side. Almost as soon as he raised his head above the
summit he pulled it back again. Quickly he dropped down to where the
others stood.

"Is he there?" asked Rob, eagerly.

Alex nodded. He looked at the faces of all the boys. Not one of them
was pale, and every one seemed only eager to go ahead. Slowly standing
and watching them for a time, at length the old hunter turned,
silently motioning them to follow him.

What Alex had seen when he peered over the top of the ridge was
nothing else than the big bear feeding in the bushes which lay some
sixty yards ahead and below, where the ground was moister. When at
length the boys, however, reached the same place and gazed over
eagerly they saw nothing at all at first.

Rob turned to whisper a question to Alex, but even as he did so he
felt John clutch him by the arm. Then as they all looked on ahead they
saw the great bear rise once more on his hind legs high above the
bushes. He was so close they could see his blocky head, his square
nose, and even his little piggish eyes. Slowly the grizzly turned a
little bit from side to side, nodding his head and whining a little
all to himself, as he started once more to reach out and break down
the tops of the bushes toward him in his great arms.

It was at that instant that the rifle of Alex rang out, and he called
to the others hurriedly, "Shoot! Shoot!"

He needed not to give such counsel, for every boy there had almost at
the same instant fired at the giant grizzly which stood below them. He
fell with a great roar, and began to thresh about in the bushes. No
sight of him for a moment could be obtained. All four now sprang
erect, waiting eagerly for the crippled game to break cover. John and
Rob even started down the slope, until Alex called out to them
peremptorily to come back. As a matter of fact, three of the four
bullets had struck the bear and he was already hurt mortally, but this
could not be determined, and Alex knew too much to go into the cover
after a wounded grizzly.

[Illustration: THE BEAR BROKE COVER WITH A SAVAGE ROAR]

The