Such a quarter of an hour followed! With the fresh spurt of anger the
bull-moose became more savage than ever. He grunted, tramped, and
hooked the trees with his horns, so that the pair who were perched like
night-birds on the branches had to hold on for dear life, lest a
surprising shock should dislodge them. Whenever the creature stood off,
to gather more fury, they could have counted their heart-beats while
they listened, breathlessly anxious to, know what action the approaching
woodsman would take.
Once Cyrus spoke.
"Dol Farrar," he said, "I guess this caps all the adventures that you or
I have had up to date. No wonder you felt all day as if you were working
up to something. I'll believe in presentiments in future."
The words had scarcely passed his lips, when there was the sharp bang!
bang! of a rifle not twenty yards distant. A bright sputter of fire cut
the darkness beneath the hemlocks.
The moose's blind rage threatened to be his own undoing. While he was
fighting an imaginary danger, ears and nostrils half-choked by fury,
through the calm night Herb Heal, Winchester in hand, had crept
noiselessly on, till he reached the very trees which sheltered his
friends.
Pages:
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274