in that the brothers could
not see the faces of each other, but Dick whispered:

"Albert, I believe we've killed him, after all."

Albert said nothing and they waited a full ten minutes. No sound
whatever came to their ears. Then Dick opened the window an inch
or two and peeped out. The great bear lay upon his side quite
still, and Dick uttered a cry of joy.

"We've killed him, Al! we've killed him!" he cried.

"Are you sure?" asked Albert.

"Quite sure. He does not stir in the slightest."

They opened the door and went out. The great grizzly was really
dead. Their bullets had gone true, but his vitality was so
enormous that he had been able to rush upon the cabin and tear at
it in his rage until he fell dead. Both boys looked at him with
admiration and awe; even dead, he was terrifying in every
respect.

"I don't wonder that the cougar, big and strong as he was, slunk
away in terror when he saw old Ephraim coming," said Dick.

"We must have his skin to put with our two buffalo robes," said
Albert.

"And we must take it to-night," said Dick, "or the wolves will be
here while we sleep."

They had acquired some skill in the art of removing furs and
pelts, but it took them hours to strip the coat from the big
grizzly. Then, as in the case of the buffalo, they cut away some
portions of the meat that they thought might prove tender. They
put the hide upon the roof to dry, and, their work over, they
went to sleep behind a door securely fastened.

Dick was awakened once by what he thought was a sound of
growling and fighting outside, but he was so sleepy that it made
no impression upon him. They did not awake fully until nearly
noon, and when they went forth they found that nothing was left
of the great bear but his skeleton.

"The timber wolves have been busy," said Dick.

Chapter VIII
The Trap Makers

The hide of the bear, which they cured in good style, was a
magnificent trophy; the fur was soft and long, and when spread
out came near covering the floor of their cabin. It was a fit
match for the robe of the buffalo. They did not know much about
grizzlies, but they believed that no larger bear would ever be
killed in the Rocky Mountains.

A few days later Dick shot another buffalo in one of the defiles,
but this was a young cow and her flesh was tender. They lived on
a portion of it from day to day and the rest they cured and put
in the Annex. They added the robe to their store of