Dave's feet. Crack! crack! went Mr. Porter's pistol,
and the huge animal was hit twice, in the breast and in the neck. The
bear uttered a sound that was half growl and half yelp and then came on
again. Crack! went Dave's pistol, and the bullet hit the beast directly
in the teeth, knocking one of them down the animal's throat. Wounded and
alarmed, the bear stood still, and again the boy fired, and then the
bear turned and lumbered away into the brushwood, wounded just
sufficiently to make it thoroughly disagreeable. The other bear
followed; and the battle, for the time being, came to an end.

"Come, Dave, it is dangerous to stay out here," said Mr. Porter. "Let us
go back into the hollow, and bring that fire with you if you can."

Mr. Porter crawled back and the youth followed, dragging the burning
brushwood behind him. Then Dave took both pistols and reloaded the empty
chambers with all possible speed.

"I see you have learned the first rule of hunting," said his father,
with a smile.

"What is that?"

"Never to carry around an empty or partly empty weapon. I kept my pistol
loaded up as long as I had any cartridges left."

"I wish I had some more brushwood to put on the fire--that would keep
the beasts off. Wonder if I can't break some of the stuff off?"

"Don't go out yet, Dave--it's dangerous," pleaded Mr. Porter.

"I'll keep my eyes on the bears, never fear," was the reply.

With caution the youth crawled over to the nearest patch of brushwood, a
distance of fifty feet. As he broke off some of the dry twigs a low
growl reached his ears. But he kept at the task until he had as much as
he thought he could carry.

But Dave never got the brushwood where he wanted it, for as he commenced
to drag it along both bears leaped from their hiding-place and one
landed almost on top of him. Crack! crack! went his pistol, and the
weapon Mr. Porter possessed sounded out three times. Each bear was
wounded again, but Dave received a blow from a rough paw that sent him
headlong. He rolled over and over in the snow, and then leaped for the
shelter, and his father dragged him to temporary safety. While this was
going on the bears started to retreat. This time they left the brushwood
entirely and stationed themselves behind the nearest belt of firs, about
fifty yards away.

[Illustration: Dave received a blow from a rough paw that sent him
headlong.--_Page 267._]

"I told you to be careful," said Mr. Porter, as Dave got up a