Fred Linden, like his companion, aimed directly between the eyes of the strange beast, and, like him, he struck the mark; but both shots only served to awake the irrestrainable ferocity of the animal, which, with another rasping howl and parted , bounded toward them. Since both weapons were discharged, and they had no other firearms, the boys were almost helpless, and it may be said their enemy was upon them.  
"Run!" called out Fred, wheeling about and leaping toward a tree, behind which he took refuge; but sturdy Terry had no thought of turning away from such a . Throwing one foot back so as to steady himself, he seized his fine rifle with both hands, near to the , and held it so as to use it as a club or shillaleh.
 
The was so close that he had no more than time to gather his strength, and swing the heavy stock with might and main, when the animal bounded at him straight from the ground.
 
There was a "dull thud," as it may be called, and the stock crashed against the side of the beast's head, knocking him a couple of yards to the left, and almost at the feet of Fred Linden; but in point of fact the blow did no harm except to the creature for a second or two.
 
He was now , and gave to one or two barking sounds like a dog or wolf. His eyes were , and there could be no doubt that his fury was at white heat. for an instant, he made a bound for Terry, before he had time to balance himself to deliver his second blow with the same power as the first.
 
Fred Linden could not stand still and see his companion torn to in that fashion. He leaped from behind the tree, with his gun also clubbed, and hastened to strike with all his might; but he was too late.
 
It was a curious fact, not understood at the moment, that the creature, although he leaped straight at Terry, passed two feet over his head, and that, too, when the lad was , and to deliver his second blow.
 
Striking on his , several paces beyond, the beast rolled over and over, clawing, snapping, snarling, and beating the air, with lightning-like blows. The leaves and dust flew in all directions, and the which he from his jaws was flecked with blood.
 
He continued rolling and struggling until he was a rod distant, and then suddenly stopped, stone dead.
 
In the excitement and of the moment both Fred and Terry were conscious that their guns were not the only ones that were fired. At the instant the brute was in the act of rising from the ground a second time for his leap, the sharp report of another rifle was heard. The was so that the lads could give no attention just then to any thing but the business in hand; but now, seeing their fearful foe was dead, they knew that it was the third bullet that had done it, and they glanced around to see who their friend was.
 
No one was in sight, and they advanced to the carcass, which they were somewhat timid about , even though convinced that it was beyond the power of doing any more harm. They saw that both of their bullets had struck the , though not at the precise points at which they aimed. One had passed near the right eye of the nondescript, and must have serious injury, but its toughness would have enabled it to keep up the fight, and to have both of the boys before they could have reloaded and fired a second time.
 
A little search showed where the fatal wound had been given. Just in front of the leg the lead had entered and gone through the heart. No animal, so far as known, amounts to any thing after his heart has been torn in twain, though he may live and move for a time.
 
"I tell you, Terry, that I don't believe there is another beast in the country that, after receiving two bullets in the head, like that, could make such a fight."
 
"I begs to corrict ye," said the other; "it was three shots, for do ye not mind that I bored a hole through him when we first made his acquaintance?"
 
"So you claimed, but you haven't explained how it was that such a shot could be made without leaving any wound?"
 
"It may have healed up since then," suggested the Irish lad, who knew as well as his companion that the first bullet did not touch the beast.
 
"I hadn't thought of that," observed Fred; "but there is one thing certain, that if that last shot hadn't been fired, it would have been the last of us: where could it have come from?" he asked, looking around and finding the answer to his question in the sight of Deerfoot the Shawanoe, who came from behind a of bushes on the other side of the small stream.
 
Fred uttered an of delight when he ............