CHAPTER XXIV.
TOGETHER AGAIN.
It must be confessed that both Tom and Sam were much alarmed by the forward move of the black bear. Up to this instant they had trusted the beast would depart with the fox's carcass, without discovering them. Now it looked as if they were in for a hot fight, and that without delay.
"Get behind the fire!" cried Tom, as soon as he could collect his thoughts.
Sam had the shotgun pointed, and as the bear advanced he pulled the trigger. The charge of shot entered the bear's left shoulder, making a number of painful, but not dangerous, wounds. At once the beast let out a snort of commingled pain and rage.
"You've done it 'now," came from Tom, and whirled his firebrand, to make it blaze up. "Take a stick, quick!"
Instead of doing this, however, Sam fired a second time, this time hitting the bear in the left hind leg. The beast dropped on all fours and came to a halt, while yet twenty yards from them.
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