“It’s the bear, as sure as I’m alive!” gasped Herbert.  “There’s no getting away from him!  Heaven save me from missing, for if my gun fails me now, it is all over!  He won’t give me time to climb a tree, and I must shoot!”

CHAPTER XXII.

THE “VACANT CHAIR.”

It is hard to imagine a more trying situation than that of Master Herbert Watrous, who, while walking along a path in the woods, saw by the faint moonlight what he believed to be the figure of an enormous black bear, sitting on its haunches, and waiting for him to move either forward or backward before springing upon him.

He shuddered with fear, but, with a courage hardly to be expected in his case, he drew up his rifle, sighted as best he could, and fired point-blank at the brute, when no more than a rod separated the two.

It was impossible to miss, even with such an unsteady aim, and the lad had not a particle of doubt that he had hit him; but had he inflicted a mortal wound?

Without waiting an unnecessary second, Herbert flung out the shell of the cartridge and placed a new one in the breech.  His hands trembled so that he could hardly keep from dropping it, but he succeeded better than would have been supposed.

Once more the gun was raised, and the leaden missile was buried in the dark object.

But it did not stir, and the amazed lad was transfixed.  What did it mean?

“I’ll give him another, and if that don’t answer—­”

From out the gloom in front he discerned a figure advancing upon him, but a second glance showed that it was a man instead of a wild animal.

“Hallo, my friend? what are you firing at?”

The voice was such a cheery one that the courage of Herbert instantly came back, and it may be said that he was never gladder in all his life to see a person.

“Why, I thought that was a wild animal—­that is, a bear, in the path in front of me; what is it?”

The man laughed heartily.

“The path makes a little bend right there, so it is not in, but beside the path; it is an oak stump on which you have been wasting your lead.”

“But those glaring eyes—­”

“That is fox-fire, which does look odd in the night-time.”

“But I heard it growling.”

“Be assured it was all imagination, my young friend; there is no bear or wild animal near us—­at least he hasn’t shown himself yet.”

“Well, I’m blamed glad to hear it, for there isn’t much fun in hunting wild beasts when it is too dark to aim well:  may I ask how it is you happen along here without a gun?”

“I live only a little ways off, and, if you will go back with me, I will be glad to entertain you over night.”

“I’m obliged to you, but I have two friends who are expecting me, up by the rock yonder.”

“I judged you belonged to the party, but there is only one of them there, unless the other has come since I left.  The one named Harper, who called at my house this afternoon, is there, and has started his camp fire.  He is impatient for the others to come in, and asked me to tell you, if we met, that he particularly wished you to ’hurry up your cakes’—­I suppose you know what that means.”