"I don't know. I can try. It's a thirty-eight calibre."

"Won't even feel it," sniffed Ned. "I've read lots of times that it
takes a lot to kill a bear."

The Professor raised his weapon and fired at the spot where the tent
appeared to be most active.

Though he had pulled the trigger only once a series of sudden
explosions followed, seemingly coming from beneath the tent itself.

"What's that!" demanded the Professor, lowering his own weapon,
plainly puzzled.

"Guess the bear's shooting at us," suggested Chunky wisely.

"No. I know what it is," cried Tad.

"You know?" demanded Ned.

"Sure. It's our cartridges exploding. The fire from the lantern has
got at those pasteboard boxes in which we carried the shells."

Now they were popping with great rapidity, and instinctively the
boys drew further away from the danger zone, though the Professor
told them the bullets could not hurt them, there being not
sufficient force behind to carry them that distance.

The Professor stood his ground as an object lesson and again resumed