aring him to the earth.

"Lie still, sir!" gasped Sergeant Hal.

[Illustration: "Lie Still, Sir!" Gasped Sergeant Hal.]

There was but a single cartridge in Overton's rifle. He clicked the
bolt, then aimed all in a flash.

In his agitation Hal succeeded only in grazing the top of the animal's
back.

But bruin, crouched on Darrin's body, raised his head and turned it
snarlingly toward Hal.

Everything that was to be done must be done in a moment. Fortunately,
the young sergeant wore his bayonet in scabbard at his belt.

Like a flash Sergeant Overton fixed that bayonet to the muzzle of his
rifle, bruin regarding him with a hostile glitter in his eyes, while
Midshipman Darrin, whose rifle had been hurled just out of his reach,
had the presence of mind to lie utterly still.

"Now, we'll see what you'll do, bruin!" quivered Hal, making a swift
lunge for the animal's side.

What bruin did was to leap away from the midshipman's prostrate body.
Despite the bear's lumbering body and shambling gait he can be spry
enough at need.

Hal's thrust, therefore, failed to land directly, but merely ripped
along the animal's coat.

The momentum that followed the miss caused Sergeant Hal Overton to fall
forward to his knees. And now the enraged bruin made straight for him.

There was time to do but one thing. Sergeant Hal made a lunge direct at
the bear's eyes.

With that menace of cold steel before his eyes the bear dodged to one
side, then rose to his hind feet.

Rising, Hal took his stand on the defensive, for now bruin was
determined on a finish fight.

Straight at Bruin's heart lunged Hal, but it was a game at which two
could play.

Bruin's massive left paw, backed by prodigious strength, swept the
bayoneted rifle aside, fairly wrenching it from Overton's grasp.

So now the bear was ready, either for embrace or pursuit of this now
helpless enemy.

Midshipman Dave Darrin, U. S. N., at the instant when he found the
weight of the bulky animal removed from his body, had crawled
noiselessly away for a few feet.

Now Darrin dropped to one knee, the rifle at ready. Aiming with the
utmost coolness, the young Naval officer fired.

Straight and true went the bullet this time into Bruin's heart.

The big mass swayed, then fell. There was barely a gasp to signal the
bear's end of life.

"Sergeant," remarked the midshipman coolly, "your conduct just now fully
confirmed what I said about your being a valuable man for th