The Valiant Runaways | Page 7

and almost simultaneously the huge unwieldy form of the bear hurled
itself down through the brush. The boys held their breath. Even Roldan
felt a singing in his ears. But the grizzly, without pausing to ascertain
his bearings, went down into the hole at a leap. He made one mouthful
of the meat, then appeared to realise that he was in a trap. With a roar
that made the horses rear and neigh like stricken things, he flung
himself against the sides of his prison, drew back and leaped clumsily,
tore up the earth, and galloped frantically to and fro. But he was caught
like a rat in a trap.
The boys laughed gleefully and remounted their horses, which also
seemed to appreciate the situation, for they had quieted suddenly.
"Adios! Adios!" cried Roldan, as they forced their way up to the trail
the bear had discovered. "You will make a fine skeleton; we will come
back and look at you some day."
But it was not the last they were to see of Bruin in the flesh.
III
An hour later they began to descend the mountain on the other side, and
by dawn espied a ranch house in a valley. The white walls were pink
under the first streamers of the morning. The redwoods rose like a solid
black wall on the towering mountains on every side.

"Ay!" exclaimed Roldan, drawing a deep sigh. "Sleep and a hot
breakfast. They will be good once more."
"They will," answered Adan, who had been collapsing and digging his
knuckles into his eyes for an hour and more.
They feared that no one might be stirring, but, as they approached the
verandah, the door opened and a stout smiling Californian, dressed in
brown small-clothes, appeared.
"Who have we here?" he cried. "But you are early visitors, my young
friends."
"We are dodging the conscript," said Roldan. "You will not betray us?"
"I should think not. I'd hide my own boys, if the mountains did not do
that for me. Come in, come in. The house is yours, my sons. Burn it if
you will. Tired? Here. Go in and get into bed. The servants are not up,
but I myself will make you chocolate and a tortilla."
The boys did not awaken for eight hours. When they emerged,
somewhat shamefacedly, they found the family assembled on the
verandah, drinking their afternoon chocolate, and impatient with
curiosity. There were no girls to criticise the dilapidated
garments--which the kind hostess had mended while the boys slept; but
there were two youths of fourteen and fifteen and two young men who
were lying in hammocks and smoking cigarritos.
Roldan and Adan were made welcome at once.
"My name is Jose Maria Perez," said the host, coming forward. "This is
my wife, Dona Theresa, and these are my sons, Emilio, Jorge, Benito,
and Carlos. What shall we call you, my sons?"
"My name is Roldan Castanada of the Rancho Los Palos Verdes, and
this is my friend Adan Pardo of the Rancho Buena Vista."
"Ay! we have distinguished visitors. But you were just as welcome
before. Sit down while I go and see if the big stew I ordered is done.
Caramba! but you must be hungry."
The four lads quickly fraternised, and Roldan began at once to relate
their adventures, continuing them over the steaming dish of stew. When
he reached the point which dealt with the outwitting of the bear, Don
Emilio sprang from his hammock.
"A bear trapped?" he cried. "A grizzly? We will have a fight with a bull.
You are rested, no? As soon as you have eaten, come and show us the
way."

The boys, always ready for sport, and believing that they were beyond
the grasp of the law for the present, eagerly consented. An hour later
Don Emilio, Don Jorge, the four lads, and three vaqueros all sallied
forth to capture one poor bear. The vaqueros dragged a sled, and much
stout rope.
When they reached the trap darkness had come, but the four boys held
lighted torches over the hole--this was their part. The bear, disheartened
with his long and futile effort to escape, lay on the uneven surface
below, alternately growling and roaring. As the torches flared above
him he sprang to his feet with a vast roar, his eyes as green and
glittering as marsh lights. In a moment a lasso had flown over his head
and he was on his back. But his formidable legs were not to be
encountered rashly. Each was lassoed in turn, also his back; then his
huge lunging body was dragged up the side of the excavation and onto
the sled. There he was bound securely; then the rope about his neck
was loosened and he was fed on a