خطر! خرس!

CHAPTER THREE

Danger! Bears!

Finally the terrier stopped.

He fell to the ground, closed his eyes, and didn’t move.

In the early morning the bull terrier woke up and struggled to his feet. He was very cold, hungry, and thirsty. He walked slowly toward a pool, passing the cat with a bird in his paws on the way.

The old dog watched the cat as he started to eat. His tail wagged with interest. The cat finished the bird, looked at Bodger, and then proudly walked away.

There was no meat on the dead bird’s body for the poor old terrier. He drank long and deeply from the pool and ate some grass. But he was still very hungry.

Soon the young dog walked over. Bodger was glad to see Luath and slowly followed him toward the road. A few seconds later the cat joined them. He was looking happy after his delicious breakfast.

In the gray light of early morning, the three friends continued along the side of the road. In the middle of the day they rested by a stream.

The dogs watched the cat as he caught and killed a small animal. The terrier moved toward the cat with his mouth open and a hopeful look in his eyes. But Tao ran off with the animal and both dogs stayed hungry.

A few minutes later, the cat came back, sat down, and started washing himself. The old dog walked away to search for food. He found nothing.

Sadly he lay down under a tree, put his paws on his dirty face, and washed himself. The Labrador wanted food, too, but he wasn’t a real hunter.

He often went hunting with men, but not alone. He drank deeply at a stream and then they all started their journey again.

The road went high over the hilly, wooded country. Below them, the land was full of incredibly beautiful colors: red, yellow, gold, and dark green.

Late in the afternoon the old dog slowed down. He was very weak and his body was shaking. The cat noticed this and started to walk closer to his struggling old friend.

Finally the terrier stopped. He fell to the ground, closed his eyes, and didn’t move. The young dog looked worried. He pushed the old dog with his nose again and again and barked loudly. The cat joined him and tried to wake the terrier up, too. But Bodger didn’t move.

The Labrador and the cat sat by the terrier’s side, worried and afraid. At last they got up and left him. The Labrador disappeared into the trees and the cat started hunting for his supper.

It began to get dark and windy, but still the old dog didn’t move. Leaves flew over him and covered his dirty, old body. Then the wind stopped and the wood was silent again.

Suddenly, there was a sound of a large animal in the wood. Out of the trees came a young, half-grown bear! Its round ears stood up and its small, curious eyes shone in its sharp little face.

Its mother stood behind it, interested in something on the ground. The young bear saw the terrier and watched him for a minute. Then it slowly moved toward him.

The terrier opened his eyes. He could feel the danger near him. Then the bear put its long paw on the dog’s white head.

The terrier barked weakly and the bear jumped back. But the dog was quiet, so it came nearer again. The excited bear hit the terrier with its paw, harder this time. The old dog wasn’t strong enough to fight back.

He barked in pain, and bravely tried to struggle to his feet. The bear attacked his aching shoulder. The smell of blood excited it and it climbed on top of the dog’s body.

It started to play with the terrier’s long white tail, biting the end of it like a child with a new toy. But the poor old dog couldn’t move. He lay down with his eyes closed, feeling no pain.

Around the corner of the road came the cat with a large dead bird in his mouth. When he saw the bear, he stopped suddenly. He dropped the bird, and a terrible change took place in him.

His huge blue eyes shone angrily in his dark face. Every hair on his body stood up, so he looked twice his real size. His chocolate-colored tail moved from side to side.

He lay low on the ground, ready to attack. And when the bear turned around, the cat jumped.

The bear screamed in pain and fear as the cat landed on the back of its neck. Again and again the cat attacked, and the young bear’s body was soon covered m blood. Its screams were answered by its mother.

The great black bear hurried through the trees to protect her baby. She attacked the cat with a huge paw, but the cat was too quick for her. With a terrible, angry cry he jumped down to the ground and disappeared behind a tree.

The mother turned and saw the old dog. As she listened to the cries of fear and pain from the young bear, she felt crazy and angry.

She stood up to her full height, ready for attack. Her red eyes shone angrily, and her head moved from side to side. The cat saw this. He ran back to help his friend.

When the mother bear heard the cat’s terrible screams, she felt nervous and afraid. She lowered her head, and started to move back.

Slowly, purposefully, the cat moved closer, and again the bear moved back. The cat stopped and moved his tail from side to side. The bear stopped, too, afraid of this strange, terrible animal.

Suddenly, the Labrador jumped out from behind the trees, barking loudly. Every hair on his red-gold back stood up. When the bear saw the two of them, she ran toward her baby. There was one more cry from the bears and then they disappeared into the wood. Everything was quiet again.

The cat changed back to his usual size. His eyes became calm again and lost their angry look. He shook each paw and slowly walked back to his dead bird.

The young dog went over to his old friend and touched him lovingly with his nose. The terriers body was covered in blood. The Labrador tried to clean it with his rough tongue.

He barked near the old dog’s head, but the terrier didn’t move. At last the Labrador lay down next to him on the grass. His eyes were nervous, the hairs on his back stood up, and from time to time he barked.

He watched Tao as he pulled a large gray bird up to the old dog’s nose. Slowly the cat began to break open the bird’s body, and soon the smell of the warm meat reached the terrier.

He opened one eye and wagged his tail. Then he sat up. He was shaking badly, and his body was wet and bloody.

But when he saw the bird, he looked interested. He pushed his nose against it and began to eat. The cat sat down near him, proudly washing his tail.

The old dog ate quickly. As his friends watched, they could see his body get stronger. Then he slept, and by night he was able to walk to the soft grass at the side of the road with the Labrador. He lay down again.

An hour or two later, the cat joined them, carelessly dropping another bird near his old friend’s nose. The terrier ate it quickly and then went to sleep.

The cat sat against his chest and the young dog lay at his back. They stayed awake, looking for signs of danger. Neither animal moved from their old friend’s side all night.