He gained the summit; not three
yards from where Laddie struggled. And the collie knew the rope
was not more than half gnawed through. There was no further time
for biting at it. The enemy was upon him.
Fear did not enter the big dog's soul. Yet he grieved that the
death-battle should find him so pitifully ill-prepared. And,
abandoning the work of self-release, he flung himself ragingly at
the advancing bear.
Then, two things happened. Two things, on neither of which the
dog could have counted. The bear was within a hand's breadth of
him; and was still charging, headlong. But he looked neither to
right nor to left. Seemingly ignorant of Lad's presence, the huge
brute tore past him, almost grazing the collie in his insane
rush; and sped straight on toward the lake beyond.
That was one of the two unforeseen happenings. The other was the
snapping of the rotted rope, under the wrench of Lad's furious
leap.
Free, and with the severed rope's loop still dangling uselessly
from around his shaggy throat, the dog stood staring in blank
amaze after his former adversary.
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