off the beast from her superior position. Hardly had she time to ascertain what the beast was up to, when she noticed it approaching her from the other end of the ledge of rock, emitting savage rasping snarls from blood-smeared fangs. Cold beads of perspiration stood out upon her forehead. Peace realized that now the fateful moment had arrived when upon that narrow ledge of rock she must fight to the finish the battle for her life and that the victor would be the one who managed to hold his place upon the rock.
The she-bear was almost upon her. Peace-Renown tried to ward her off with the spear, but the bear, grasping it in her teeth, wrenched it from her hand with so much force that Peace-Renown almost lost her balance; then flung the weapon off into a pile of twigs.
“Now, I will surely have to die!” the thought flashed momentarily and disappeared, for she had not lost courage yet! She raised the battle-axe, grasped firmly in both hands, confidently ready to put up a vigorous battle. The beast slid ever closer to her. Peace-Renown felt its hot breath upon her cheek. A shaggy paw lifted, ready to strike, with its long sharp claws aimed for her chest. In a moment her mauled and mangled, bloody body would be forced off the ledge, for the battle-axe was too short to reach its mark beyond those huge, hairy paws.
“Help!” screamed panic-stricken Peace-Renown, her blood congealing with the horror of approaching death. Over her head, just in the nick of time, gleamed the shining point of a javelin and found its mark in the throat of the threatening beast which like a leaden maul now toppled off the rocky ledge.
On a crag of the rampart, just above her head, there appeared the glad, sun-reddened face of Maxim. One glance from the eyes of the grateful girl gripped his heart. Not a word passed between them for there was no time. The bear was still very much alive and howling ferociously, she sprang to her feet again. With a leap she was beside her young who, not
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