OH, SHOOT! 



ing thing before it was upon them. The 

 second missile likewise had gone true, but still 

 there had come no sign from the silent animal, 

 and again Joe cried out. The brief delay 

 while the lever fell and rose had brought the 

 brute into an open glade and past all ob- 

 structions. 



I remember thinking, up there on the hill 

 across the bay when I heard those four shots: 

 "Both boys are firing. Those reports are too 

 rapid to come from one gun"; but Joe had 

 promised first blood to Fred and he never 

 pulled trigger during the entire encounter. 



At the third shot the bear went to its neck 

 and rolled a complete somersault, but its rush 

 brought it up to its feet again, closer now and 

 still coming. At the fourth report, however, 

 it sank to its haunches, swung its head from 

 side to side, thrust out a massive forearm, and 

 settled at full length as a tired man lies down. 



"Give him another one to make sure!" Joe 

 directed, but this time Fred's carbine clicked 

 on an empty magazine. He stepped to the 

 guide and gravely shook his hand, then asked: 



"Am I as white as you are, Joe?" 



Joe grinned. "Well, you're pretty white," 

 said he. 



74 



