The Young Alaskans

s a little quicker than when they came down-stream. Rob was scanning the mo

fished all along this bank. My! I'll bet he's full of bones to-day. It's the first run of fish, and he was so hungry he ate pretty near everything except the

now and we've got guns; but I don't believe I ever wanted to kill a bear quite as big as this

aid John, decisively. "I only wish we ha

ook in among the traps in the back of the hut and see what we can find. Th

n cast-iron frying-pan and, what caused them even greater delight, a little, dirty sack, which contained perhaps three or four pounds of salt. They sat on the grass of the floor and looked at on

nds it, and to use a camp as though it were his own. Of course we mustn't waste anything or carry anything off, but while we're here

that big bear, are you?" ask

t look, brand-new high-power Winchesters, every one-and any on

he door and looked out. He was rather a matter-of-fact boy in his way, and there seemed

n, nearly half a mile away, there showed plainly enough the body of an enormous bear, larg

pretty big to me. Do you suppose

giant animal advancing down the hill-side with its long, reaching stride. Suddenly he uttered an exclamation. "Loo

in color and, of course, much smaller, although each was as large as the ordinary black bear of the United S

opped and sat up on her haunches, swinging from side to side a

e she won't get scared and run away! No, there she comes;

side. Rob kept his eye intently fixed on the place where they had disappeared, but made no motion to lea

won't be long now before the fish begin to move up the c

wondered at that it should disturb one of Jesse's years. There was, perhaps, in the wild and remote situation in which they found themselves something which gave them courage. They had escaped such dangers of the sea that now the danger of the land seemed less by comparison. Moreover, they all had the hunting instinct

door and stood waiting for the others to follow.

show above the grass. Thus following down the stream, and carefully peering over the banks at each bend, they worked along until they were perha

n!" he

ty voice, something like what one may hear in a circus at feeding-time. Once in a while a squeak or a bawl came fr

head, knocking them sprawling over in the water, to their very great disgust. Once in a while one of them, his ears tight to his head, would sit down in the water, lift up his nose and complain bitterly at this hard treatment. Then again he would make a half-hearted stroke at some of the fish which he could see swimming about him; but his short claws would not hold like the long, curved ones of his mother, and no fish rewar

heir game. The hearts of all of them now were throbbing wildly, and probably each one doubted his ability to do good shooting. Something, however, led them on, and altho

hing, until he pulled up under cover of the bank at a point not more than sevent

now!" he

made motions to both of the others not to be excited. A strange sort of calm seemed to have come upon him. Yet, plucky

f as though she scented danger. Her shaggy hair shone silvery now in the sun, and she seemed enormously large. Rob's heart le

eemed to make the hair prickle on the boys' heads; but even as she roared she dropped and flo

through the spine and killed it instantly. The second cub stood but a moment longer. These boys had used rifles many times before, and although

nd time before Rob would allow them to go a foot closer, and even so, the great gray body retained life enough to roll half down the

f any of them, and unbelievably large even for the most widely experienced sportsman. Inde

he was trembling violently all over. Jesse and John were bo

-sort of sick at my