Rod knew something about the captain’s rifle, as on several occasions he had been shown how it worked, and once, which was a red-letter day to him, he had been allowed to fire it off.  It was quite fortunate that the boy had this slight knowledge, which now served him in good stead.  Rod saw the bear rise on its hind legs, and he knew from stories he had read that this was the ordinary method of attack.  He could not afford to lose a moment, he was well aware, if the captain was to be saved.

Creeping close to where the bear was standing, he drew back the hammer, took steady aim at the brute’s body, and pulled the trigger.  At once there was a loud report, and Rod was sent reeling backward as if hit on the shoulder by a huge rock.  For an instant he imagined that the bear had struck him with its paw, but a shout from the captain caused him to scramble to his feet.  Then his eyes rested upon the black form of the bear lying upon the ground but a short distance away.

“Is it dead?” he asked, hurrying over to where the captain was standing.

“Dead!  Doesn’t he look like it?” was the reply, as the old man laid a heavy hand affectionately upon the boy’s shoulder.  “That was a great shot, lad, and jist in the nick of time.  My!  I was sure he was goin’ to have me fer dinner.  That would have been a slower and more painful death fer the brute, ha, ha!”

CHAPTER XXIII

FIRST AID

By this time the rest of the scouts had scrambled down the bank, much ashamed of themselves for their recent fear.  They were now most anxious to do all they could to assist the captain.  They soon learned that he was unable to walk, for in addition to his injured knee he had sprained his ankle.  He tried to take a few steps in order to show the boys that he was not much hurt.  But this was more than he could endure, and he gave a deep groan of pain as he sank down upon the ground.

“It’s nothin’, lads,” he growled, somewhat annoyed at the accident.  “Yez better go home and git a team to take the bear out.  I’ll stay and keep him company till yez come back.  He might be jist fooling and will sneak off into the woods.  We can’t afford to run any risk.”

“We’ll not leave you, captain,” Rod stoutly protested.  “You’re soaked with water, and you’ll get a bad cold if you stay here.  We’ll carry you home.”

“Carry me!” the captain exclaimed in surprise.  “Yez couldn’t tote a heavy log like me all that distance.”

“We’re going to try, anyway.  We’re scouts, remember, and you have often told us what to do in a case like this.  I guess the bear will be all right.  He looks quiet enough now.”

There was nothing for the captain to do but to submit, and though he growled somewhat at what he called their foolishness, yet he was pleased at their interest on his behalf.