It was an accomplishment that the boys had frequently practised, and the
counterfeit was perfect enough to deceive the birds themselves.
They waited an instant, and then they heard Bert's answering
"whippoorwill."
The bear paid no attention to the familiar sound, and it was evident that
his suspicions had not been aroused.
Guiding themselves by the repetition of the cry Dick and Tom pressed
forward, their guns ready for instant use at the first sight of the
enemy.
Bert had promptly grasped the meaning of the signal. It was imperative
that the bear's attention should be centered on himself alone. The only
thing he found in his pocket was a jack-knife, but he threw this with
such precision that it struck the bear full on the point of the nose and
evoked a roar of fury. A shower of twigs and branches added insult to
injury, until the great beast was beside himself with rage. He had no
thought or eyes or ears for anything but Bert.
And now the whippoorwill was close at hand.
Two spurts of flame leaped from the forest on the right. With a ferocious
snarl the grizzly whirled about in the direction of the shots.
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