Chapter 14: Up a Tree

Despite the lateness of the season, we liked the valley so well that we lingered there. Its fresh atmosphere and beautiful scenery charmed us and furnished solace for all our trials. The lateness of the season bade us to be up and going, for the leaves of the trees were taking on already the red and brown tinges of autumn, but we found life there too pleasant to seek the bare plains again, just yet.

Starboard Sam took a huge delight in the lake, and under Pike’s skillful instruction he soon made a bark canoe which, although a trifle shaky, could carry two people at once in a fair degree of comfort and safety.

He and Henry usually monopolized the canoe, and as they brought us ample supplies of toothsome fish every day nobody found fault with them for it.

While all of us enjoyed ourselves, I think Henry was in reality the happiest of the party. The life we were leading was calculated to appeal most forcibly to a boy of his romantic temperament. He used often to say we were just like so many Robinson Crusoes, and I think we were.

Bonneau and I took the canoe one day and paddled up the lake, intending to seek an elk, for the animals had become wilder since human beings had arrived in the valley and rifle shots had been heard. The sun was bright and the air which had the breath of autumn in it was cool but pleasant. Being in no hurry, we lolled along in the boat, Bonneau doing the paddling.

At last we decided to land at a spot at least seven or eight miles from where our little camp lay. We beached the boat and plunged into the forest.

Bonneau, noticing Pike’s skill, had a great idea that he, too, could trail game. So he said to me:

“I tell you what, Monsieur Fielding, I will watch ze ground for ze tracks of ze game, and when I see where ze elk have passed I will tell you. Zen we track ze animals down and shoot zem.”

In pursuance of this plan Bonneau began to scurry about and examine the earth with an appearance of great eagerness. He scrutinized every foot of ground, looking for “ze track.” I had much less confidence in Bonneau’s powers as a scout or trailer than I had in his skill as a cook. Accordingly I began a search on my own account for game. Both being engrossed in our work, we wandered apart.

I heard a rapid footstep behind me presently, and turning around, saw Bonneau, his face very much flushed and his eyes blazing with excitement, rushing up to me.

“Ah, Monsieur Fielding,” he exclaimed, eagerly. “I am ze great scout, I have found ze trail of ze king of ze elk. He must be as large as ze elephant or ze mastodon; came back and I will show you ze footprints!”

I hastened back with Bonneau, and when he came to a little glen he stopped abruptly and pointed to the earth, exclaiming:

“See zere! Zere it ees!”

I looked down and saw a large impression in the earth, but I knew at once that it had never been made by any member of the deer tribe. It was more like that off a bear or a panther, but its great size amazed me.

“See, here ees ze way he goes,” said Bonneau, pointing to more of the tracks which led in a line across the glen and on under the trees. It was easy enough even for two hunters who were as inexperienced as Bonneau and I to follow the trail. We followed it without hesitation, for our curiousity was greatly aroused.

The tracks zigzagged through the undergrowth. Two or three times we saw bushes that bore succulent red berries had been pulled down by some powerful grasp, and all the berries swept off. It was evident that the animal had been taking his time and was lounging along. This encouraged us in our belief that we would overtake him, for the bushes seemed to have been freshly broken.

Bonneau was full of eagerness, and also of pride, because he had discovered the trail, and scuttled about like a cat after a rat. Though the trail veered about, its general direction was through the woods and towards the mountain-side. We followed it across two or three brooks and saw where the animal’s body had crushed down the soft banks. In a short time we were at the base of the mountain. The tracks, which were now quite fresh, led up among the rocks.

“We will have ze beast in a meenute!” exclaimed Bonneau. “He cannot be far.”

He leaped lightly up among some rocks, and then started back with a gasp of horror. A gigantic beast up rose and confronted the Frenchman. Standing on his hind legs he towered above Bonneau. His eyes, of a burnt Sienna color, were streaked with red and were aflame with ferocity. Around his neck all the hair was rubbed away, adding to his uncouth and ferocious aspect. The claws on his uplifted front paws were long, sharp and gleaming.

Bonneau and I were face to face with out first grizzly bear.

I was so startled that the hand which held my gun hung limply by my side. Bonneau seemed paralyzed with surprise and fear, and stood staring at the great brute that towered over him. Old Ephraim returned his stare with interest, and his red-mottled eyes sparkled with anger. Bonneau was the first to recover his power of action. I do not say reason, for he acted upon impulse. He raised his gun and fired point blank at the brute. Then uttering a shout, he threw his empty weapon at the brute, and, turning, fled back into the forest.

The bear, growling fiercely, seized the abandoned gun in his teeth and bit at the barrel. He was bleeding where Bonneau’s bullet had struck him, but did not seem to be much hurt. He snarled and snapped at the gun-barrel for a moment or two. Then he dropped it and lumbered down towards me. I had now recovered my presence of mind, and levelling my rifle, I took good aim at the bear and fired.

To my horror my bullet did not check the brute’s course at all, and, still clinging to my gun, I turned and followed Bonneau. I stuck my hand in my belt for my pistol, but, never thinking of danger, I had left it at the camp.

I crashed on helter skelter through the brush, and behind me came that lumbering beast with astonishing speed. I knew that he was cutting down the distance between us, and in my consternation and terror I fancied I could feel his hot breath upon me. He was perilously near when I dodged nimbly around a tree, and his huge mass hurled past me. He recovered himself quickly and came on again, but I had got a little breathing spell and increased my speed. I found this paid so well that I tried it again with the same success.

Thus we dodged in and out among the trees, for all the world like children playing a game of hide and seek, though the stake of the fugitive was life. I was rapidly becoming tired out when a shrill voice shouted: “Take to zee tree! take to zee tree!”

I faced about and hurled the rifle, which I had still clung to, mechanically, I suppose, at the snout of the bear. He reared up, caught it in his claws and open mouth and, exuding venom, tore at it. Profiting by this diversion, I shinned up a tree with an agility born of mortal terror. Just as I reached the lowest boughs and swung myself up, the bear dropped the rifle, stretched himself to his full height and made a swinging blow at me with his paw. The claws struck the sole of one of my old shoes, and ripped it off as if it were made of so much paper. But I was safe, and I climbed higher and higher until I sat down on a bough and clung to the tree, trembling in every muscle and cold and wet with perspiration.