t his belt, and, turning
round, faced the infuriated animal, which instantly rose on its hind
legs and closed with him.

The Indian met it with a tremendous blow of his axe, seized it by the
throat with his left hand, and endeavoured to repeat the blow. [See
frontispiece.] But brave and powerful though he was, the Indian was like
a mere child in the paw of the bear. The axe descended with a crash on
the monster's head, and sank into its skull. But bears are notoriously
hard to kill. This one scarcely seemed to feel the blow. Next instant
Arrowhead was down, and, with its claws fixed in the man's back, the
bear held him down, while it began to gnaw the fleshy part of his left
shoulder.

No cry escaped from the prostrate hunter. He determined to lie
perfectly still, as if he were dead, that being his only chance of
escape; but the animal was furious, and there is little doubt that the
Indian's brave spirit would soon have fled, had not God mercifully sent
Jasper Derry to his relief.

That stout hunter had been near at hand when the shot was fired. He at
once ran in the direction whence the sound came, and arrived on the
scene of the struggle just as Arrowhead fell. Without a moment's
hesitation he dropt on one knee, took a quick but careful aim and fired.
The ball entered the bear's head just behind the ear and rolled it over
dead!

Arrowhead's first act on rising was to seize the hand of his deliverer,
and in a tone of deep feeling exclaimed, "My brother!"

"Ay," said Jasper with a quiet smile, as he reloaded his gun; "this is
not the first time that you and I have helped one another in the nick of
time, Arrowhead; we shall be brothers, and good friends to boot, I hope,
as long as we live."

"Good," said the Indian, a smile lighting up for one moment his usually
grave features.

"But my brother is wounded, let me see," said Jasper.

"It will soon be well," said the Indian carelessly, as he took off his
coat and sat down on the bank, while the white hunter examined his
wounds.

This was all that was said on the subject by these two men. They were
used to danger in every form, and had often saved each other from sudden
death. The Indian's wounds, though painful, were trifling. Jasper
dressed them in silence, and then, drawing his long hunting knife, he
skinned and cut up the bear, while his companion lay down on the bank,
smoked his pipe, and looked on. Having cut off the best parts of the
carcass