AN UNWELCOME PASSENGER.
A second time a loud snort was heard, as though some large animal were
blowing the water from his nostrils, and at the same instant Nick and
Nellie caught sight of the huge snout of the bear coming through the
water toward them.
He was making directly for the raft beyond all question.
"By jingo, this raft wasn't built to carry bears!" exclaimed the
startled lad, who used the pole with all the strength of which he was
master; but, unfortunately, the bottom of the pond was composed of
slippery rocks in many places, and the blunt end of the crooked limb
slid along the upper surface of one of these so quickly that Nick
dropped on his side and came within a hair's breadth of rolling
overboard.
But he was up again like a flash, and toiling with might and main.
Rafts as generally constructed, are not capable of much speed, and
though Nick Ribsam got out all there was in the one which he had
managed, it was not to be expected that he could compare with the
velocity of a strong, healthy bear.
"He's coming, Nick! Oh, he will catch us sure!" exclaimed the sorely
frightened Nellie, edging so far away that she, too, was in danger of
going over.
"I know he is," replied the sturdy lad, working hard with the guiding
pole, "and I think he can beat us. Do you stay where you are, and don't
try to get any further off or you will be drowned. I'll bang him over
the head if he tries to climb on here and ride with us.
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