Part 39 (1/2)
”Did you see a wildcat? Where is it?” deer, quickly, as he, too, reached Dave's side
”It went off in that direction,” answered Dave, pointing with the barrel of his rifle ”See! There it is!”
As Dave uttered the last words, Roger and Phil saw a small, tawny-colored body creep out of some distant bushes and make a leap onto a flat rock The beast was indeed a wildcat, and as it caaze savagely at the boys Then it crouched low, preparatory to her up
Crack! It was Dave's rifle that rang out And following the report the wildcat was seen to leap into the air and then fall back on the rock, where it whirled over and over several tier, simultaneously
”What did you shoot at?” called out Ben, as he ca forward, followed by Luke and Shadow
”A wildcat! See, there it is on the rocks!” cried Roger
”A wildcat! I didn't know there were any left around here,” returned Ben, and then he added, quickly: ”There it goes! You didn't kill it after all, Dave”
As Ben spoke, the wildcat gave another whirl on the rock, and then slipped off through the bushes out of sight of the boys
”I'll give hier, as he hurried forward
”Be careful that he doesn't get at you first!” cried Dave, warningly
”If he's only slightly wounded he'll be a dangerous custoer, and, having reloaded his weapon, Dave followed suit Soon all were standing close to the flat rock where the wildcat had been hit
”Where is it?”
”I don't see him anywhere”
”Be careful, he may land on you before you know it!”
”There! There! Look yonder!” The last cry came from Luke, and at his words all turned quickly, to see the wildcat crouch between two trees growing close to the rocks With a snarl, the beast leaped out toward the one forequarter
Roger had the shotgun ready, and without taking tier
Bang! went the piece, and then, with a final leap, the wildcat sprang toward the boys, only to drop dead at their feet
”Good! That's the way to do it!” cried Phil, enthusiastically ”That wildcat won't bother us any er, after an examination of the dead animal ”More than likely the beast would have died from that wound”
”I don't know about that,” returned our hero; modestly ”You are the one who settled hier It couldn't have been better” And on this the others agreed
As no one cared to take the trouble to skin the wildcat, the beast was left where it had fallen, and the boys onceto the spot where they had seen the smoke Soon the trail made another turn, and then cae
”Here are footprints,” said Ben, pointing to the close to some sort of a house or cabin”
A few minutes later the broad path they had discovered made another turn, and then in the distance they saw a neat log cabin, located on the bank of a small mountain torrent Fro