nd Ralph's heart grew harder within him. His hand held his
rifle in a nervous clutch and his finger-nails scored the stock. A shout
from him would avert disaster; a shot would arrest that terrible
advance. But the shout remained unborn; the trigger still waited the
compressing hand. And the unconscious brother stood with death stealing
upon him from beyond the fringe of the woods.

Solemnly the great grizzly advanced. Once in the open he made no pause.
The lumbering beast looked so clumsy that the inexperienced might have
been forgiven a smile of ridicule. Its ears twitched backward and
forward, its head lolled to its gait, and though its eyes shone with a
baleful ferocity they seemed to gaze anywhere but at its intended
victims.

Ralph stood watching, with lips compressed and jaws set, and a cruel
frown darkening his brow. But his heart was beating in mighty
pulsations, and somewhere within him a conflict was raging, in which
Evil had attacked in overwhelming force, and Good was being beaten back.

Within ten yards of the tree the bear halted and reared itself upon its
haunches. Thus for a moment it towered in terrible menace.

It was the last chance. Ralph's lips moved as though to shout, but only
a low muttered curse came from them. Suddenly the air was split with a
piercing scream. Aim-sa stood erect, one arm was outstretched pointing,
the other rested against the tree as though she would steady herself.
Her eyes were staring in terror at the huge brute as it came towards
them.

Nick swung round. He was too late. There was no time to reach his rifle.
His right hand plunged at his belt, and he drew a long hunting-knife
from its sheath, and thrust himself, a shield, before Aim-sa.

The cry smote the savage heart of Ralph, smote it with the sear of
white-hot iron. A wave of horror passed over him. It was not of his
brother he thought, but of the woman he loved. Nick's death would only
be the forerunner of hers. In a flash his rifle sprang to his shoulder.
A second passed while his keen eyes ran over the sights, the compressing
hand was upon the trigger. A puff of smoke. A sharp report. The grizzly
swung round with a lurch. He had not stopped, he merely changed the
direction of his steps and came straight for the forest where Ralph
stood.

But the magnificent brute only took a few strides. Ralph went out to
meet him, but, ere he came up, the creature tottered. Then, reeling, it
dropped upon all fours, only, the