296 



RECREATION 



all flashed through my mind in a mo- 

 ment. Pete had, in his haste to reach 

 me, lost control of himself and slid with 

 the rolling stones and dirt over the 

 mountain side, a fall of at least fifteen 

 feet ! Instantly my nerve returned and 

 I rushed madly dp the incline to rescue 

 my companion. I bounded between 

 some stout saplings ; they parted as my 

 body struck them, but sprung together 

 again before my leg had cleared the 

 V-shaped opening. My foot was im- 

 prisoned, and I fell with a heavy thud 

 on my face. For an instant I was 

 dazed, but even in my dazed state I was 

 fully conscious of Pete's impending 

 peril, and I kicked and struggled blindly 

 to free myself. My gun had been flung 

 from my hand in my fall and was out 

 of my reach ; blood ran from my nose 

 and forehead, almost blinding me ; 

 strange noises filled my ears ; I heard 

 the howl the wolf gives when game is 

 in sight, and, even half blind as I was, 

 I saw dark, dog-like forms sweep by 

 me ; I heard the scream of an eagle ; 

 I heard a snarling and yelping, the 

 sounds of a struggle — I ceased to kick, 

 wiped the blood from my eyes, and 

 looked ahead. There lay Big Pete Dar- 

 linkel, dead or unconscious, and within 

 ten feet of him stood the giant bear 

 surrounded by a vicious pack of gaunt, 

 red-mouthed wolves. The bear made a 

 rush and a shadow passed over the 

 ground, I heard the sound of a large 

 body rushing swiftly through the air, 

 then an immense eagle struck the bear 

 like a thunder-bolt ; at the same instant 

 the wolves attacked him from all sides, 

 then there was a whistle, keen and clear ; 

 the wolves retreated ; the bird again 

 soared aloft ; the bear made several 

 passes in the air in search of the bird, 

 fell forward again on all-fours, then 

 rose on its hind legs and killed a wolf 

 with one sweep of its great paw ; in an- 

 other instant it was down on all-fours 

 once more. The bear now made a dash 

 at the leader of its persecutors, only to 

 fall forward, dead, with its ugly nose 



across Big Pete Darlinkel's chest. Then 

 I remembered hearing the crack of a 

 rifle, and knew that the Wild Mountain 

 Man had saved our lives, if indeed the 

 fall had not killed my comrade. My 

 foot was caught in such a manner that 

 it was held some distance from the 

 ground, and it was impossible for me to 

 release myself, and so I rested patiently 

 on my two hands until help should come, 

 and listened for the approaching step; 

 but there was no sound to break the aw- 

 ful silence of the wilderness ; however, 

 the saplings parted and my foot slipped 

 out. I tried to rise, but found my ankle 

 so badly sprained that I could not stand 

 on it. Then a low voice with quaint ac- 

 cent said, "Sit down, stranger, while I 

 look to your mate," and I saw the tall, 

 lithe figure of a man clothed in buckskin 

 bending over Big Pete. 



"Only stunned, friend," said the 

 stranger, and I heard no more. The 

 blow on my head, combined with the 

 pain from my ankle, was too much for 

 me, and now that the danger was over 

 it was a good time to faint, and I took 

 advantage of it. 



How long I remained unconscious I 

 do not know, but when my eyes opened 

 again it was night ; through the inter- 

 lacing boughs overhead the stars were 

 shining brightly, my head was neatly 

 bandaged, and so was my foot and 

 ankle. I could hear our horses crop- 

 ping grass near by. I raised my head 

 and there lay Pete : he was alive, I 

 knew, by the snores that issued from 

 his nose, and we were in our own camp ; 

 but what are those animals by the camp- 

 fire ? Wolves ! gaunt, shaggy wolves ! 

 I hastily arose to a sitting posture, but 

 my alarm subsided when in the dim 

 light from the fire I could trace the out-- 

 lines of another figure, and on a stick 

 close to the figure's head roosted a giant 

 bird. The hobgoblin, the ghost, the 

 youthful lad of one hundred and twen- 

 ty-four summers, whose timely appear- 

 ance had saved us from the grizzlv, was 

 now camping with us. 



{To be continued.) 



