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But my joy was short-lived, and my heart sank once again as a moment later I

saw a mighty paw insinuated into the opening--a paw as large around as a large

dishpan. Very gently the paw toyed with the great rock that partly closed the

entrance, pushed and pulled upon it and then very deliberately drew it outward

and to one side. Again came the head, and this time much farther into the

cavern; but still the great shoulders would not pass through the opening. Ajor

moved closer to me until her shoulder touched my side, and I thought I felt a

slight tremor run through her body, but otherwise she gave no indication of fear.

Involuntarily I threw my left arm about her and drew her to me for an instant. It

was an act of reassurance rather than a caress, though I must admit that again

and even in the face of death I thrilled at the contact with her; and then I released

her and threw my rifle to my shoulder, for at last I had reached the conclusion

that nothing more could be gained by waiting. My only hope was to get as many

shots into the creature as I could before it was upon me. Already it had torn

away a second rock and was in the very act of forcing its huge bulk through the

opening it had now made.

So now I took careful aim between its eyes; my right fingers closed firmly and

evenly upon the small of the stock, drawing back my trigger-finger by the

muscular action of the hand. The bullet could not fail to hit its mark! I held my

breath lest I swerve the muzzle a hair by my breathing. I was as steady and cool

as I ever had been upon a target-range, and I had the full consciousness of a

perfect hit in anticipation; I knew that I could not miss. And then, as the bear

surged forward toward me, the hammer fell--futilely, upon an imperfect cartridge.

Almost simultaneously I heard from without a perfectly hellish roar; the bear gave

voice to a series of growls far transcending in volume and ferocity anything that

he had yet essayed and at the same time backed quickly from the cave. For an

instant I couldn't understand what had happened to cause this sudden retreat

when his prey was practically within his clutches. The idea that the harmless

clicking of the hammer had frightened him was too ridiculous to entertain.

However, we had not long to wait before we could at least guess at the cause of

the diversion, for from without came mingled growls and roars and the sound of

great bodies thrashing about until the earth shook. The bear had been attacked

in the rear by some other mighty beast, and the two were now locked in a titanic

struggle for supremacy. With brief respites, during which we could hear the

labored breathing of the contestants, the battle continued for the better part of an

hour until the sounds of combat grew gradually less and finally ceased entirely.

At Ajor's suggestion, made by signs and a few of the words we knew in common, I

moved the fire directly to the entrance to the cave so that a beast would have to

pass directly through the flames to reach us, and then we sat and waited for the

The People that Time Forgot