Steve Young Part 57

"Why, Watty, what's the matter?" cried Steve. "I do believe he's crying. Get up. Did you think I was dead?"

"Yes, we all tought you wa.s.s teat, an' I tought the pear wa.s.s come to eat me, ant--ant--ant--she's ferry clad to see you acain, though she don't like you."

"Well, you are a rum chap, Watty! I say, you didn't mind my s.n.a.t.c.hing away that meat? I couldn't help it, I was nearly starved."

"No, she ton't mind," replied the lad. "She'd hat a little pit o' meat pefore. But she's all scratted, an' her het pleets, an' she's cot no skin on her knuckles!"

"Oh, never mind that! I got away--escaped. But it was very bad."

"Put it wa.s.s ferry pad! What wa.s.s ferry pad?"

"Having a couple of bears after you."

"An' she had twa pears after her?"

"Yes, monsters. They hunted me all along a gully right up into the mountain."

"Hey! An' tid they catch her?"

"No; one got tired and stopped, but the other came right on to where it was all ice and snow. Up yonder," said Steve, pointing to the glittering slopes and peaks far above their heads.

"An' what tid that one to? Tid she ket tired?"

"No," said Steve. "I made a jump to get up a steep bit of the ice, caught hold, and then fell right on to the bear as it was coming up after me."

"Hey, tid she, though?"

"Yes; and knocked it off the slope, and we went down together for a little way rolling over and over. Then I found I was alone, for the bear had clawed about and stopped itself; but I was sliding and slipping there down and down, I don't know how far, but it must have been hundreds of feet over the steep snow, till I rolled over among the stones and cut my head."

"Hey, and she has cut it! Hadn't she petter tie it up?"

"Oh, that's nothing."

"Put what tid the pear to?"

"I don't know. I didn't see any more of it. I suppose it's up there in the mountain somewhere. I say, Watty, I wish I'd had Skeny with me. I don't know, though; perhaps the bears would have killed him. Where are the others?"

"They're gone to leuk for you. She's waiting for them to come pack."

"Have they got Skeny with them? He ought to have scented me out, so that they could have shot the bears."

"Skeny? Na; she tidn't see the tog."

Steve started.

"Why, Watty, I don't remember seeing him when we turned back with the deer; did you?"

"Na, she tidn't see the tog since she rin after a teer. She wa.s.s going ferry fast, an' she forgot all spout the tog after. She hopes the tog isna lost."

"No fear! Skeny will find his way back. Oh, how stiff and sore I am!

Hark!"

There was a faint whistle from the distance, and Watty leaped up, and, thrusting his fingers into his mouth, blew an answer.

A couple of minutes later, as the boys stood watching in the direction from which the sound had come, they made out three figures on the slope of the mountain. Then these three figures stopped, and began to wave their caps, and directly after they broke into a trot, and were soon up by the fire.

"Steve, lad!" cried Captain Marsham. "Thank G.o.d, you are safe!"

"Where have you been, boy?" cried the doctor joyfully, as he wrung the hand the captain had left at liberty. "Why, you have made me a job.

Get some water, my lad," he continued to Watty, and laying down his gun he began to take out a pocket-book to get sticking-plaster and scissors.

"I'm very glad, Mr Steve," said Johannes quietly. "We thought you were lost."

While the doctor washed away the marks left by Steve's fall and carefully applied sticking-plaster the boy told his adventure, Watty listening again attentively, and now watching the speaker, now the mountain-side, in full expectation of seeing the bear make its appearance from one of the gullies; but there was no interruption, and they heard all.

"You must not leave your friends again, my lad," said the captain. "We must all be ready to help each other; co-operation is power. Well, how do you feel now?"

"So stiff I can hardly move," replied Steve.

"Then we must camp here for a few hours. Fortunately we have a little of the provisions in our satchels. Where's the rest of the meat, my lad?"

Watty turned more red than usual. "There isna a pit left, sir. Meester Stevey ate oop a' there wa.s.s left."

"Bravo, Steve, my boy!" cried the doctor merrily. "Any one who can eat well has not much the matter with him."

"I felt starved when I came back," said Steve, colouring. "I couldn't help it."

Watty looked horribly guilty; but his was not the nature to make a clean breast of the matter, and he sat furtively watching the little party as the provisions were brought out; and free from care now, they all began to eat.

"Here, Watty," said Steve, as soon as he received a portion, "we must not forget you."

"Na, sir, she couldna eat a pit," cried the lad truthfully, and it was only by great persuasion that his modesty was overcome; but certainly he did not do justice to the biscuits and cheese handed to him, for there were limits even to his capacity.

Just as they had about finished, a distant barking was heard, and Steve tried to stand up, but sank back with a groan.

"Skeny!" he cried. "Oh, I say, I am stiff!"

"The dog! Ah, where has he been all this time?"

"She went off efter the teer, and tidna come pack."

"Not after deer now, gentlemen," cried Johannes, s.n.a.t.c.hing up his spear.

"Quick! your guns."

The weapons were seized, and all now caught sight of that which had attracted the Norseman's attention; for a huge bear was seen coming down from a ravine, followed by the dog, which kept on snapping savagely at the beast's heels, and then as the bear turned bounded out of its reach.

But the bear did not appear disposed to follow the dog, acting directly after as if it had some object in view, for it turned again, placed its nose close to the ground, and came on toward the little open camp.

"That's my big bear!" said Steve excitedly. "How do you know?" said the captain, altering the cartridge in one of his barrels for a bullet.