Four or five feet from Thor stood Muskwa. In a small-boyish sort of way he
knew that something was going to happen soon, and in that same small-boyish
way he was ready to put his stub of a tail between his legs and flee with
Thor, or advance and fight with him. His eyes were curiously attracted by
that pendulum-like swing of Thor's head. All nature understood that swing.
Man had learned to understand it. "Look out when a grizzly rolls his head!"
is the first commandment of the bear-hunter in the mountains.
The big black understood, and like other bears in Thor's domain, he should
have slunk a little backward, turned about and made his exit. Thor gave
him ample time. But the black was a new bear in the valley--and he was not
only that: he was a powerful bear, and unwhipped; and he had overlorded a
range of his own. He stood his ground.
The first growl of menace that passed between the two came from the black.
Again Thor advanced, slowly and deliberately--straight for the robber.
Muskwa followed halfway and then stopped and squatted himself on his belly.
Ten feet from the carcass Thor paused again; and now his huge head swung
more swiftly back and forth, and a low rumbling thunder came from between
his half-open jaws. The black's ivory fangs snarled; Muskwa whined.
Again Thor advanced, a foot at a time, and now his gaping jaws almost
touched the ground, and his huge body was hunched low.
Pages:
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87