“That’s business,” he exclaimed, with a thrill of pride; “but why couldn’t I shoot that way when Nick and Sam were looking at me?  I know how the thing is done now, and when we get together I’ll give them some lessons in marksmanship.”

He left the squirrel on the ground, but had not gone far when a new idea struck him and he came back, picked it up, and put it in his game-bag.

“If I show them a squirrel, they can’t help believing that I shot him.”

The serious question which Herbert had been discussing with himself, ever since being alone, was what he would do if he should happen to come upon the bear.  He had not quite so much confidence in his gun as he had when he started out, though the shooting of the squirrel brought back considerable of his natural assurance.

The conclusion he reached was that it would be just as well if he and bruin did not meet.  Excellent as was his Remington, it was not a repeating rifle, and he was afraid that one shot, even if well aimed, would not be enough.

“If I had a Henry, which shoots sixteen shots in sixteen seconds, I could fill him so full of lead that he couldn’t run fast enough to overtake me if I didn’t happen to kill him.”

But the Henry, which he desired so much, was beyond his reach, and it was idle to wish for it.

Accordingly, he slung his gun over his shoulder in true sportsman style, and strode along the path until the greater part of the distance was passed, when, like his friends, he found a fallen tree at a convenient spot and sat down for a rest.

Herbert, in his luxurious home in the city, had become accustomed to irregular hours, so that it was now the most natural thing in the world for him to fall asleep and not open his eyes until he shivered with cold and it was growing dark around him.

He started up in no little surprise, and, recalling where he was, hastened along the path toward the camp.

“They’ll be worried almost to death about me,” was his thought, “and I shouldn’t wonder if they start out to hunt me up.  Ah!”

The reverberating report of a rifle came from the direction of the limestone rock, and he felt no doubt that it was meant as a signal to direct him.

Herbert replied by firing his own gun in the air and shouting that he was coming.  He did not forget to place another cartridge in his rifle, for, truth to tell, he was a little nervous over this lonely tramp through the woods at such a late hour.

He listened, and heard the answering shout of Sam Harper, and, communication being thus established, Herbert held his peace and hastened forward as best he could in the faint moonlight.

“I hope I won’t meet any sort of game now,” was the wish of the lad, “for I am in a hurry to join the boys—­”

Could he believe his eyes!

He had hardly given expression to the wish, when a dark mass loomed up to sight directly ahead of him, and he plainly saw the gleam and glow of a pair of frightful eyes fixed upon him.  He was sure, too, that he had heard the threatening growl of the monster, which might well believe he had the youngster in his power.