The Valiant Runaways [3]
in the houses of Spain. Those hide
boots, spotted with mud, and the blood of the calf, would keep him from
wanting another meal for many a long day--"
"Ay, thou fearless one! Why, it is said that if the grizzly even raises
his paw and slaps the face every feature is crushed out of shape."
"I should not be surprised."
They plunged on, tearing their clothes on the spiked brush and the
thorns of the sweetbrier, fragrant lilac petals falling in a shower
about them, great ferns trodden and rebounding. The air was heavy with
perfume and the pungent odour of redwood and pine.
Roldan had passed Adan. Suddenly his horse stumbled and would have gone
headlong had not his expert rider pulled him back on his haunches.
"What is it? What is it?" cried Adan, who also had been obliged to pull
in abruptly, and who liked horses less when they stood on their hind
legs. "Is it the bear upon us? But, no, I hear him--above and beyond.
What are you doing, my friend?"
Roldan had dismounted and was on his hands and knees. In a half moment
he stood erect.
"We are saved," he said.
"Ay? What?"
"It is a hole, my friend--large and deep and round. Did you put any meat
in your saddle-bags?"
"Ay, a good piece."
"Raw?"
"Yes."
"Give it to me--quick. Do not unwrap it."
Adan handed over the meat, then dismounted also.
"A bear-trap?" he asked.
"Yes, a natural one. Come this way, before I unwrap the meat."
The boys forced their way to the south of the large hole, dragging the
still terrified horses, who were not disposed to respond to anything
less persuasive than the spur. Roldan approached the edge of the
excavation and shook the meat loose, flinging the paper after it. As the
smell of fresh beef pervaded the air it was greeted by a growl like
rising thunder, and almost simultaneously the huge unwieldy form of the
bear hurled itself down through the brush. The boys held their breath.
Even Roldan felt a singing in his ears. But the grizzly, without pausing
to ascertain his bearings, went down into the hole at a leap. He made
one mouthful of the meat, then appeared to realise that he was in a
trap. With a roar that made the horses rear and neigh like stricken
things, he flung himself against the sides of his prison, drew back and
leaped clumsily, tore up the earth, and galloped frantically to and fro.
But he was caught like a rat in a trap.
The boys laughed gleefully and remounted their horses, which also seemed
to appreciate the situation, for they had quieted suddenly.
"Adios! Adios!" cried Roldan, as they forced their way up to the trail
the bear had discovered. "You will make a fine skeleton; we will come
back and look at you some day."
But it was not the last they were to see of Bruin in the flesh.
III
An hour later they began to descend the mountain on the other side, and
by dawn espied a ranch house in a valley. The white walls were pink
under the first streamers of the morning. The redwoods rose like a solid
black wall on the towering mountains on every side.
"Ay!" exclaimed Roldan, drawing a deep sigh. "Sleep and a hot breakfast.
They will be good once more."
"They will," answered Adan, who had been collapsing and digging his
knuckles into his eyes for an hour and more.
They feared that no one might be stirring, but, as they approached the
verandah, the door opened and a stout smiling Californian, dressed in
brown small-clothes, appeared.
"Who have we here?" he cried. "But you are early visitors, my young
friends."
"We are dodging the conscript," said Roldan. "You will not betray us?"
"I should think not. I'd hide my own boys, if the mountains did not do
that for me. Come in, come in. The house is yours, my sons. Burn it if
you will. Tired? Here. Go in and get into bed. The servants are not up,
but I myself will make you chocolate and a tortilla."
The boys did not awaken for eight hours. When they emerged, somewhat
shamefacedly, they found the family assembled on the verandah, drinking
their afternoon chocolate, and impatient
boots, spotted with mud, and the blood of the calf, would keep him from
wanting another meal for many a long day--"
"Ay, thou fearless one! Why, it is said that if the grizzly even raises
his paw and slaps the face every feature is crushed out of shape."
"I should not be surprised."
They plunged on, tearing their clothes on the spiked brush and the
thorns of the sweetbrier, fragrant lilac petals falling in a shower
about them, great ferns trodden and rebounding. The air was heavy with
perfume and the pungent odour of redwood and pine.
Roldan had passed Adan. Suddenly his horse stumbled and would have gone
headlong had not his expert rider pulled him back on his haunches.
"What is it? What is it?" cried Adan, who also had been obliged to pull
in abruptly, and who liked horses less when they stood on their hind
legs. "Is it the bear upon us? But, no, I hear him--above and beyond.
What are you doing, my friend?"
Roldan had dismounted and was on his hands and knees. In a half moment
he stood erect.
"We are saved," he said.
"Ay? What?"
"It is a hole, my friend--large and deep and round. Did you put any meat
in your saddle-bags?"
"Ay, a good piece."
"Raw?"
"Yes."
"Give it to me--quick. Do not unwrap it."
Adan handed over the meat, then dismounted also.
"A bear-trap?" he asked.
"Yes, a natural one. Come this way, before I unwrap the meat."
The boys forced their way to the south of the large hole, dragging the
still terrified horses, who were not disposed to respond to anything
less persuasive than the spur. Roldan approached the edge of the
excavation and shook the meat loose, flinging the paper after it. As the
smell of fresh beef pervaded the air it was greeted by a growl like
rising thunder, and almost simultaneously the huge unwieldy form of the
bear hurled itself down through the brush. The boys held their breath.
Even Roldan felt a singing in his ears. But the grizzly, without pausing
to ascertain his bearings, went down into the hole at a leap. He made
one mouthful of the meat, then appeared to realise that he was in a
trap. With a roar that made the horses rear and neigh like stricken
things, he flung himself against the sides of his prison, drew back and
leaped clumsily, tore up the earth, and galloped frantically to and fro.
But he was caught like a rat in a trap.
The boys laughed gleefully and remounted their horses, which also seemed
to appreciate the situation, for they had quieted suddenly.
"Adios! Adios!" cried Roldan, as they forced their way up to the trail
the bear had discovered. "You will make a fine skeleton; we will come
back and look at you some day."
But it was not the last they were to see of Bruin in the flesh.
III
An hour later they began to descend the mountain on the other side, and
by dawn espied a ranch house in a valley. The white walls were pink
under the first streamers of the morning. The redwoods rose like a solid
black wall on the towering mountains on every side.
"Ay!" exclaimed Roldan, drawing a deep sigh. "Sleep and a hot breakfast.
They will be good once more."
"They will," answered Adan, who had been collapsing and digging his
knuckles into his eyes for an hour and more.
They feared that no one might be stirring, but, as they approached the
verandah, the door opened and a stout smiling Californian, dressed in
brown small-clothes, appeared.
"Who have we here?" he cried. "But you are early visitors, my young
friends."
"We are dodging the conscript," said Roldan. "You will not betray us?"
"I should think not. I'd hide my own boys, if the mountains did not do
that for me. Come in, come in. The house is yours, my sons. Burn it if
you will. Tired? Here. Go in and get into bed. The servants are not up,
but I myself will make you chocolate and a tortilla."
The boys did not awaken for eight hours. When they emerged, somewhat
shamefacedly, they found the family assembled on the verandah, drinking
their afternoon chocolate, and impatient