Only a few men were
ordered to remain to guard the camp, while the remainder mounted their
horses and galloped towards the gorge where Charlie had been entombed.
On arriving, they found that Bruin had worked with such laudable zeal
that nothing but the tip of his tail was seen sticking out of the hole
which he had dug. The hunters could not refrain from laughing as they
sprang to the ground, and standing in a semicircle in front of the
hole, prepared to fire. But Crusoe resolved to have the honour of
leading the assault. He seized fast hold of Bruin's flank, and caused
his teeth to meet therein. Caleb backed out at once and turned round,
but before he could recover from his surprise a dozen bullets pierced
his heart and brain.
"Now, lads," cried Cameron, setting to work with a large wooden
shovel, "work like niggers. If there's any life left in the horse,
it'll soon be smothered out unless we set him free."
The men needed no urging, however. They worked as if their lives
depended on their exertions. Dick Varley, in particular, laboured like
a young Hercules, and Henri hurled masses of snow about in a most
surprising manner.
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