Page:The Swiss Family Robinson, In Words of One Syllable.djvu/94

78 the Cave. My wife and Frank were left at our Half Way House, to wait till we came back, but the dogs went with us. Our route lay far up the course of a small stream, which had its source some miles north of the Farm House. The ground was new to us, but we could not well lose our way, for on the right stood a hill from which we could see the whole of the plain.

Ernest had gone with one of the dogs to a cave that he had spied at the foot of the hill, but we saw him turn round and run back with Turk at his heels. As soon as he thought his voice would reach us, he cried out, "A bear! a bear! come to my help!"

We could now see that there were two great beasts at the mouth of the cave. At a word from us both the dogs flew to fight the bear that stood in front. Fritz took up his post at my side, while Jack and Ernest kept in the rear. Our first shot was "a miss," as Jack said; but we took a sure aim the next time, and both shots told.

We would have let fly at them once more from this spot, but as we thought we might hit our brave dogs, who were now in the heat of a hard fight with their foes, we ran up close to them.

"Now Fritz," said I, "take a straight aim at the head of the first, while I fire on the one at his back."

We both shot at once;