Page:Hugh Pendexter--The young timber-cruisers.djvu/148

 thought she’d kill them if I dropped them. I thought they were some kind of a coon.”

“I might have suspected it,” cried Abner. “If there is room to make a fool mistake I guess ye can be trusted to come along and take advantage of the opportunity.”

“I thought you’d like them,” meekly apologized Stanley.

This but added fresh fuel to Abner’s wrath, and he exclaimed, “What in tarnation should I want two bear cubs fer?”

“I supposed you’d like to have them to keep and make pets of,” politely responded Stanley.

Abner stopped short in his tracks and wheeling Stanley about grimly inquired, “Young man, where’ll ye have yer body shipped when some fool monkey-shine like this results in yer death?”

“I’m sorry,” mumbled Stanley. “I didn’t mean any harm. And I’m awfully obliged to you for saving my life.”

“Ye can thank yer stars that I was on the ridge and see ye start to run. Even then ye’d been mauled to death and me too, prob’ly, if the bear hadn’t give up the chase to go back to her cubs; fer I didn’t have any gun.”

“Please don’t shoot her,” pleaded Stanley.