nows but it might be a grizzly?"

"I am quite sure it is," said Archie. "Don't you remember how badly
frightened Pete used to be when there was one of those varmints around?"

As Archie said this, the bushes were violently agitated, and the twigs
cracked and snapped as if some heavy body was forcing its way through
them. The hounds, waiting to hear no more, turned and fled down the
path, leaving the boys to themselves. Frank turned and looked at Arthur.
Could it be possible that the pale, terror-stricken youth he saw before
him was the one who but a few moments ago had boasted so loudly of his
courage? That noise in the bushes had produced a great change in him.

CHAPTER X.

ARTHUR SHOWS HIS COURAGE

It must not be supposed that Frank and Archie were entirely unmoved by
what had just happened. The strange conduct of the hounds, and the
desperate flight of Johnny's horse, were enough to satisfy them that
there was some dangerous animal in the bushes in front of them, and the
uncertainty of what that animal might be, caused them no little
uneasiness. Grizzly bears were frequently met with among the mountains,
and they sometimes extended their excursions into the plains,
occasioning a general stampede among the stock of the nearest ranch. The
grizzly is as much the king of beasts in his own country as the lion in
Africa and Asia; and Frank and Archie, during their sojourn at the Old
Bear's Hole, had become well enough acquainted with his habits and
disposition to know that, if their enemy in the bushes belonged to that
species, they were in a dangerous neighborhood. The grizzly might, at
any moment, assume the offensive, and in that event, if their horses
became entangled in the bushes, or were rendered unmanageable by fright,
their destruction was certain. This knowledge caused their hearts to
beat a trifle faster than usual, and Frank's hand trembled a little as
he unbuckled the holsters in front of his saddle, and grasped one of his
revolvers. But neither he nor Archie had any intention of discontinuing
their journey, or of leaving the field without having at least one shot
at the animal, whatever it might be.

"Now, boys," said Frank, in an excited whisper, "we have a splendid
chance to immortalize ourselves. If that is a grizzly, and we should be
fortunate enough to kill him, it would be something worth bragging
about, wouldn't it? If I only had my rifle!"

"We must rely upon our friend, here," said Arc