Never had such a storm been heard of in October; even the first gale, which had demolished the roof of the Academy, and brought about this two weeks’ vacation for the boys, had not equaled this, coming from another quarter as it did.

Jerry had one bad scare.

He had blocked up the entrance as best he could with what stray bits of wood he found around.  Suddenly he felt his barrier moving, and realized that some wild animal was nosing around, trying to force an entrance for shelter.

It must, after all, be the lair of a bear which he had found.  Was this most remarkable day in all his experience to be wound up with an encounter that might dwarf the other into insignificance?

Jerry gave a shout.  At the same time he seized upon his gun, and fired one barrel squarely through the opening.  He thought he heard a loud “woof,” but after that there was no further molestation.

But, nevertheless, he lay there wide-awake, and on his guard.  Should Mr. Bear pluck up courage enough to return, he meant to be ready to give him a warm reception.

Time passed, and he believed the storm was really diminishing in fury.  It was certainly time, for from the various crashes Jerry believed considerable timber must have gone to the ground.

How thankful he should be to have escaped as well as he had.  Why, the mere fact that he was lost did not cut any figure in the matter when so many more terrible things might have happened to him.

There was really no sense of him leaving his snug retreat until dawn came, for he could not make his way in the storm-wrecked timber with any hope of success.

Again he poked his way out to take an observation.  Perhaps he was wondering if his shot could have killed the bear; but no sign of such met his strained eyesight when the next flash of lightning came.

But while he was thus trying to pierce the gloom around him, he heard a sound that thrilled him through and through—­the sound of a human voice calling.

“Help, oh! help!” it came wailing through the night.

CHAPTER XVI

HEAPING COALS OF FIRE ON HIS HEAD

“What’s that?” exclaimed Jerry, startled by the cry.

It came again.

“Help!  Oh! help, somebody!”

The boy was now convinced that he had not heard the hoot of an owl, and that some one was certainly in need of succor.

He remembered the crash of the trees that had gone down in the tempest.  Could it be possible that the unfortunate one had been caught under one of these falling forest monarchs, and pinned to the ground?

If so, no wonder that he cried at the top of his voice for assistance.  Unable to escape he must starve to death, or become the prey of wild beasts unless help came.

Jerry immediately crawled out of his hole.  He no longer remembered the fact that a bear had recently been sniffing at the entrance to the hollow tree.  All he had in mind was that he might be of assistance to a fellow human being in distress.