“Grizzly bears!” shouted Arthur, in reply, without attempting to check his headlong flight.

“Grizzly bears!” echoed Johnny, in dismay.  “And are you going off without trying to help those boys?  Stop, and go back with me.”

But Arthur was past stopping, either by ability or inclination.  Digging his spurs into the sides of his horse, which was already going at the top of his speed, he went by Johnny like the wind, and in a moment was so far away that it was useless to make any further attempts to stop him.  For an instant, Johnny was irresolute; then he turned in his saddle, and shouted one word, which the wind caught up and carried to the ears of the flying horseman, and which did much to bring about the events we have yet to describe.

“Coward!” yelled Johnny, with all the strength of his lungs.

Having thus given utterance to his opinion of Arthur Vane, he put spurs to his horse and galloped into the woods, hoping to reach the scene of the conflict in time to be of service to his friends.  But, as we know, the grizzly bear had proved to be a wolf, and had already been killed by the dogs.

CHAPTER XI.

Arthur plans revenge.

Meanwhile, Arthur Vane continued his mad flight toward the settlement.  His hat was gone, his fine shot-gun had been thrown aside as a useless incumbrance, and his tomahawk and knife had dropped out of his belt; but he was too frightened to stop to pick them up.  No pause he knew until he reached Mr. Harris’s rancho, where he reined up his panting horse, and electrified the family by shouting through the open window: 

“Grizzly bears!  Grizzly bears!”

“Where?” breathlessly inquired Mr. Harris, running out on the porch.

Before Arthur could reply, Johnny’s mother appeared; and a single glance at the frightened hunter and his dripping steed, was enough to awaken in her mind the most terrible apprehensions.  She knew, instinctively, that something dreadful had happened.

“O, my son!” she screamed, sinking down on the porch, and covering her face with her hands.

Mr. Harris did not stop to ask any questions then.  He knew the route the boys had taken in the morning, and his first thought was to start for the scene of the conflict, although he had little hopes of arriving in time to be of any assistance to the young hunters.

“Jose!” he shouted to one of his Rancheros, who happened to pass by the house at that moment, “call all the men to saddle up at once.  The boys have been attacked by a grizzly in the mountains.”

The gentleman carried his fainting wife into the house, and presently re-appeared with a brace of revolvers strapped to his waist, and a rifle in his hand.

“Did you see any of the boys hurt?”

He asked this question in a firm voice; but his pale face and quivering lips showed that the news he had just received had not been without its effect upon him.