Will, of course, immediately made good use of his camera.

Meanwhile, wilder grew the exertions of the trapped grizzly.  He was snarling with rage.  The foam gathered about his mouth, and Frank shuddered as he saw the cruel teeth, not to speak of the long, deadly and poisonous claws.

“Hey, Bluff!  If you only had that gentle little knife of yours handy, now would be a fine chance to rush in and have a tussle with that meek grizzly!  You know you told us all just how you meant to slay the jabbercock with one straight blow.”

Bluff did not make any verbal reply to this unkind thrust on the part of Jerry, but Frank, looking at him, saw that his face was deadly pale, and that he was staring at the terrible monster with whom the reckless cowboys were playing as a cat does with a mouse.  He knew Bluff was feeling a chill at the thought of such a tragedy happening as his having an encounter with a beast like that.

“What if the ropes should break?” asked Frank as the captive made a more ferocious rush than usual, and the pony on the other side was dragged several feet.

“Then there would be somewhat of a mix-up, and a case of every man for himself.  They’d expect me to show that I hadn’t altogether forgotten my craft in connection with handling a rifle.  Once I used to be a crack shot, but lack of experience plays hob with a man’s nerves,” replied Mr. Mabie, as he sat upon his steed and played with the repeating rifle he held.

“I see you are enjoying the situation, boys.  Would one of you like to wind him up?” and the ranchman turned to Frank.

“I don’t believe I would, sir,” laughed that worthy.

“How about you, Jerry?”

“I’ve often dreamed of shooting such game, but excuse me, Mr. Mabie, it would be too much like the butcher business to please me,” observed the other.

At this the stockman laughed.

“Oh, I can understand that principle of honor in a true sportsman, my lad, and I must say it does you credit; but when you come to know grizzlies better, and appreciate their terrible strength, you’ll agree with the rest of us that a man has to forget such things when he gets a chance to puncture the hide of so fierce a monster as this old rogue.  He could kill a horse with a single blow, or tear one into shreds with those claws.  If I can get my mount to go a little closer, I’ll try to wind him up with a single ball, but it’s difficult to shoot from the back of a nervous pony.”

He began to speak to his steed, which was striking the turf with its hoofs, and champing at the bit, as if terrified at such close proximity to, an animal so greatly to be dreaded.

Then suddenly there was a wild shout from the cowboys, and Frank, looking, saw one of them whirling his horse in wild flight, and dashing toward the group.  He seemed to guess instinctively what had happened—­the rope of the opposite rider must have broken under the tremendous strain.  This really left the grizzly free, and, filled with mad rage, he was galloping straight toward them!