CHAPTER XIX
New Year's day found the young pioneers located in the valley of the Yuba River, in a rude cabin which it had cost them a good deal of time and trouble to erect. They had come across the continent in safety, and now they were impatient for the winter to go away that they might start their hunt for gold dust and nuggets.
"Good-by to 1848!" sang out Mark. "May the year 1849 prove a fortunate one for all of us."
"Amen to that," came from Maybe Dixon, who sat by the rude fire-place, boiling a pot of coffee. They had very little coffee left and so had to boil it a good while, to get some strength out of the small quantity used at a time.
"I wouldn't mind it so much if we weren't so shy of provisions," said Bob. "But I can tell you what, boys, things are getting mighty low."
They all knew that without being told, yet the saying of it made the crowd look sober.
"Do you know what I am going to do?" said Maybe Dixon. "I'm going out to-morrow and see if I can't bring down game of some sort."
"Let me go with you!" exclaimed Si, eagerly.
"All right, Si, you can go,—with the shotgun. We ought to be able to scare up some rabbits if nothin' else."
Close at hand was another log cabin, occupied by the Sockets. They too were short of provisions and had been over several times to borrow things to eat.
"I'll willingly pay for them," said Josiah Socket, who had brought considerable money with him. "I'd give a good bit to have a general store handy."
"So would we, even though we haven't much money," said Mark.
They let the Sockets have what they thought they could possibly spare. But it was very little, and everybody at both cabins was put, for the time being, on half rations or less. At this the smaller Socket children set up a protest, which went straight to their mother's heart.
"Oh, Josiah, we must do something," sighed Mrs. Socket. "Isn't there any store at all around here?"
Her husband said no, but two days later a miner came along who said some provisions could be had at a camp known as the Four Monkeys. The camp was forty miles away. Prices were frightfully high, but the goods were to be had, if a man wanted to pay for them.
After talking the matter over with Maybe Dixon and the boys, it was decided that Socket and Mark should pay a visit to Four Monkeys, taking Socket's two horses for the journey. They were given minute directions regarding the trail to follow, and started away at the same time that Maybe Dixon and Si went on a hunt.
"How long will you be gone, Josiah?" asked his wife.
"Not more than four days—unless the trail is very bad," answered the husband.
As soon as Mark and Socket had departed for the distant camp, Maybe Dixon and Si went out on the hunt. This left Bob, Mrs. Socket, and the children in the two cabins alone.
Maybe Dixon and Si were full of expectations, but after tramping around for several hours without seeing game of any kind the face of each took on a gloomy look.
"We ain't doing much, that's sure," grumbled the man, as they paused near a series of rocks to rest. "Not a smell o' even a rabbit. It does beat all, don't it?"
"I am not going to give up yet," answered Si. "I am not going back until I get something, even if it is only one little snowbird," and he shook his head decidedly.
They had gone through a small patch of timber from north to south and now crossed it in the opposite direction. They were just rounding a series of rocks when Si let out a yell:
"A bear!"
"Where?" yelled the man in return.
"There! He is gone now! Say, he was a whopper!"
"Si, we must get him!"
"All right, but if we don't watch out he'll chew us up," added the former farm lad. "A big bear isn't to be fooled with."
"I know it, but we must try and get the meat. Is your gun all right?"
"Yes."
"So is my rifle. Come on after him."
They were soon at the spot where the bear had been. The trail was plainly to be seen and led over the rocks, where the wind had blown away the most of the snow.
A good quarter of a mile had been covered when they heard a strange grunt ahead of them. The next instant the bear came into full view. He was up on his hind legs and evidently ready for a fight.
Maybe Dixon did not stop to think twice but blazed away, hitting the animal in the forequarter. Then Si let drive, and the shot sprinkled the bear's face, putting out one eye.
Half blinded and suffering intense pain, the bear turned as if to flee. But a moment later he swung around again and came after Si full speed.
"Out o' the way!" roared Maybe Dixon. "Out o' the way, or he'll kill you sure!"
Si was getting out of the way with all speed. He darted behind some trees, made a half circle, and then leaped to the top of the very rocks from which the bear had come when he first put in his appearance.
In the meantime the man was reloading with all possible speed and soon had his rifle ready for a second shot. Feeling the necessity for doing his best, he ran in close to the bear and blazed away at bruin's head. But just as the rifle was discharged the bear dropped down, and the bullet flew over its mark.
"You've missed him!" screamed Si, and then retreated still further, until a low-branched tree barred his progress. Without stopping to think twice, the former farm lad leaped into the nearest branches and mounted out of reach of the bear.
Disappointed, the animal slipped around the tree and finally started to come up the somewhat sloping trunk. In his excitement, the boy had dropped his shotgun on the ground, so he had nothing with which to defend himself.
"Shoot him, can't you?" he yelled to the man. "Hurry up, quick!"
Maybe Dixon was reloading with all speed. But he was nervous and consequently took longer than if he had been cool. Before he was ready to fire again the bear was following Si to a still higher branch of the tree.
The former farm lad was badly frightened and with good reason. The loss of one eye had made the bear furious and his one purpose now appeared to be to get hold of the youth and chew him up.
"Can't you fire?" sang out the boy, when near the top of the tree.
"I don't want to hit you," answered Maybe Dixon. "Tell you what, can't you drop to the ground and leave the bear up there?"
"I'll try it," answered Si, and a moment later his body came crashing through the branches. As he passed the bear he hit the animal on the rump. This caused the bear to swing around and lose his balance, and boy and beast came down together on the ground.
Maybe Dixon was close at hand, and before the bear could do more than roll over he let drive, this time putting a bullet into the animal's vitals. The bear got up, staggered toward Si, who quickly darted out of reach, and then tumbled in a heap and began to quiver.
"I guess you hit him that time," panted Si. His face was as white as the snow.
"I guess I did," answered Maybe Dixon. "But don't go near him. He may be shamming."
After a few minutes the bear lay still and they approached with caution, and Maybe Dixon plunged a hunting knife into the animal's throat. Then they were certain the battle royal was at an end.
"Gracious me, but that was a fight!" ejaculated Si, who was still trembling. "I thought sure the bear was going to eat me up!"
"We were lucky that he didn't hug one or tudder to death, Si. He a putty big an' powerful critter, he is!"
"We'll have a lot of meat now."
"So we will, an' I am glad of it. I am tired of livin' on half rations."
"So am I. Fresh meat is just what we need—to help along with the beans and flour."
It was no easy task to get the big carcass to the cabin. They cut a tree branch for a drag and rolled the dead bear upon it. Then both took hold of the drag and started over the snow, taking to the smoothest trail they could find.
"We'll have the juiciest kind of a bear steak for dinner to-day," said Si. "It's too bad Mr. Socket and Mark won't be here to help enjoy it."
"That is so, lad. Well, they can have all they want when they come back. In such cold weather as this the meat will keep a long time."
With such a heavy load they had to rest several times on the way. As they made the journey to the cabin they kept their eyes open for other game, but nothing but a squirrel came to view and they did not shoot at this.
"Let the little chap go," said Si. "We've got something more substantial, even if it isn't quite so delicate."
"Right you are, Si; a squirrel ain't more'n quarter of a meal anyhow. We'll save our ammunition."
Bob was on the lookout for them, and so were Mrs. Socket and her children. All ran out into the open with exclamations of delight.
"A bear!"
"What a fine, big fellow!"
"Now we will have all the meat we want for a while!"
"Mrs. Socket, in honor of the occasion, I move you cook us one good square all-around meal," said Maybe Dixon.
"I will do it, Mr. Dixon," said the lady of the camp promptly. "And I am glad to have the chance," she added.