forward to her.

At that moment the bear, as if it knew the girl's mission, sprang
forward, with a growl. Its huge mouth was open, and all its fierce lust
for killing showed again in its wild lunges. Castine turned, with an
oath, and thrust the steel-set pike into its leg. It cowered at the
voice and the punishment for an instant, but came on again.

Castine saw the girl raise a pistol and fire at the beast. He was so
dumfounded that at first he did not move. Then he saw her raise another
pistol. The wounded bear lunged heavily on its chain--once--twice--in a
devilish rage, and as Christine prepared to fire, snapped the staple
loose and sprang forward.

At the same moment Castine threw himself in front of the girl, and caught
the onward rush. Calling the beast by its name, he grappled with it.
They were man and servant no longer, but two animals fighting for their
lives. Castine drew out his knife, as the bear, raised on its hind legs,
crushed him in its immense arms, and still calling, half crazily,
"Michael! Michael! down, Michael!" he plunged the knife twice in the
beast's side.

The bear's teeth fastened in his shoulder; the horrible pressure of its
arms was turning his face black; he felt death coming, when another
pistol shot rang out close to his own head, and his breath suddenly came
back. He staggered to the wall, and then came to the floor in a heap as
the bear lurched downwards and fell over on its side, dead.

Christine had come to kill the beast and, perhaps, the man. The man had
saved her life, and now she had saved his; and together they had killed