Freed of the bear, Tom lost no time in scrambling to his feet.  Soon the struggles of the beast ceased, and they knew he was either dying or dead.  To make sure, John Barrow stepped in, hunting knife in hand, and plunged the blade into his throat.  Then the other bear was served in the same fashion.

The fight had been of short duration, yet the peril had been extreme, and after it was over poor Tom found he could scarcely stand.  Dick led him to a rock and set him down, asking him if he was hurt.

“I got a scratch on the arm, but I reckon it’s not much,” was the faint answer.  “But it was a close call, wasn’t it?”

“Those bears must have been awfully hungry, or they wouldn’t have put up such a fight,” said the guide.  “Their being at the cache proves they wanted food.”

“Well, we’ve got the food now,” returned Dick grimly.  “We’ll have all the bear steaks and roasts anybody wants.”

“Yes, and I can tell you a juicy steak will just be boss!” put in Sam enthusiastically.

It was seen that Tom was hurt more than he cared to admit, and the others lost no time in building a big camp-fire, that they might warm themselves, while Dick took off his brother’s coat, rolled up his shirt-sleeves, and bandaged an ugly scratch with a bit of linen.

“You can help here,” said John Barrow to Jasper Grinder.  “I’ll fix it as your duty to keep the fire a-goin’.  There is a hatchet and there is the brushwood.  Don’t let the fire go down, or I’m afraid there won’t be enough heat for cooking your supper.”  And the guide smiled grimly.

At this indirect threat Jasper Grinder scowled.  But he did not dare to complain, and was soon at work cutting brushwood and dragging it to the spot.

“Gosh, but he’s not used to hard work,” was Sam’s whispered comment.  “I’ll wager he doesn’t like that for a cent.”

“It’s time he was set to work doing something,” answered Dick.  “It will keep him from getting into mischief.”

As late as it was, and although all were tired out from their long walk through the deep snow, they found it necessary to construct some shelter for the night.  The guide located a number of cedars growing close together, and this spot was cleaned out and made as comfortable as circumstances permitted.  The fire was shoved over to the new location, and then John Barrow cut up one of the bears and procured a big juicy steak for supper.  It is needless to say that all enjoyed the treat set before them, even Jasper Grinder eating his full share.

“We’ll hang the meat up on a tree,” said John Barrow.  “If we don’t some hungry foxes or other wild animals will surely be after it.”  And procuring the necessary ropes, he flung them over some limbs and all hauled the carcasses up, Tom, of course, being excused from the task, because of his wounded arm.

The wind had gone down, and when all retired within the shelter not a sound but the merry crackling of the fire broke the stillness around them.  In front of the camp was a long stretch of the pond, now thickly covered with snow; in the rear a slope of a mountain, rock-ribbed and covered with cedars and hemlock.  To the left was located one of the branches of the river and a hundred yards distant was a second branch.