CHAPTER XIII.
A FIGHT WITH A PUMA.
"By George! Something is wrong now!"
It was Dan who uttered the words, as he again drew rein, followed byRalph. They had passed along a distance of less than quarter of a mile,and the end of the forest was still a goodly distance ahead.
A fierce howling had arisen, followed by a snarling and a snappingwhich caused the hearts of both boys to beat violently. The mustangstrembled, and acted as if they wished to turn and run.
"It's a wildcat or a painter, or something, and he's got into a fightwith the wolves," continued Dan, as he strained his ears to catch thesounds of the encounter. "They are having a lively tussle, aren'tthey?"
"Let them fight it out," answered Ralph, with something of a shudder."I hope they all kill each other, too," he added.
The howling and snapping and snarling continued for several minutes,then gradually died away in the distance. Still listening, they heardsome large beast trailing through the brush to one side of them. Theyturned in the direction, and levelled their guns, but the animal didnot show itself.
Darkness was now coming on, and the boys wished themselves safe at theranch. It was one thing to ride through the timber in the daylight; itwas quite another to do so at night, and especially when the wildanimals were on the move.
"The worst of it is, one wild beast sets the other to fighting," saidDan.
"And it's so dark a fellow can't see fifty feet ahead of him."
What to do was indeed a question, but neither of the lads wished toremain in the timber all night, and, after another consultation, theydecided to rush their ponies along until the next burn was gained.
"If we go fast enough, no wild animal will have time to organise anattack," said Ralph.
The wind was coming up, setting the dying leaves to scattering in alldirections. As the wind increased, the boughs of the trees swayedviolently over their heads.
Suddenly Dan, who was ahead, set up a shrill cry of alarm. He had seentwo eyes glaring down at him from the branches of a tree he was justpassing. He tried to pull back his mustang, and on the same instant ahuge puma, or, as he is commonly called in the southwest, a painter,landed almost directly on his pony's neck.
The attack was a fierce one, and had it not been for a lucky accidenteither Dan or his steed must have been killed within a few seconds, forthe puma is a heavy-built and powerful beast, and its bite, or a strokeof its huge paw, is generally meant to be deadly.
But, as mentioned before, Dan held his gun over his saddle, and as thepainter came down the weapon went off, and the beast received the fullcharge in the upper part of his left shoulder. The wound did not killhim, or even seriously wound him, but it shocked and surprised thebeast so much that he fell back, and tumbled to the ground.
"Oh, Dan, look out!" shrieked Ralph, and pulled in his own steed. Then,as his brother's mustang reared to one side, and the puma prepared tomake a second leap, he endeavoured to get a bead on the beast.
The puma had struck on his back. Now he had turned over and wascrouching down, like a cat getting ready to pounce upon a bird, hisbushy tail sweeping the grass with quick, nervous motion.
Bang! Ralph's gun spoke up just as the painter was in the act ofspringing for Dan, and the shot took the beast in the stomach, making ajagged and ugly wound. Again the beast dropped back, uttering a mingledsnarl of rage and pain. The snarl was exactly like that the boys hadpreviously heard, and they felt that this must be the beast that hadgotten into the fight with the wolves. Probably the wolves had gottenaway from him, and this and the taste of their blood had angered himinto making the present attack.
Both mustangs were now kicking and plunging, and the boys had all theycould do to keep their seats. The steeds backed away from the woundedpainter, and then Dan's mustang started to bolt. His course was under atree with low branches, and in a second the youth was brushed from hisback, and sent spinning to the ground.
Half stunned by his fall, Dan had yet sense enough left to know that hemust get away at once or the painter would be on him to rend him topieces. He leaped up, and as the fierce beast came on, grabbed thenearest tree limb, to which he clung with might and main.
"He's coming!" roared Ralph. "Pull yourself up!" And he started toreload with all possible speed, no light task while on the back of amustang that was so nervous and inclined to bolt.
Dan was doing as advised, when the puma limped up, his eyes blazingwith a fury which is indescribable. He did his best to make the leap,and his teeth struck one of Dan's boot heels. But the boy kicked himaway and drew himself still higher, and for the moment was safe.
The wounds of the painter were now beginning to tell upon him, and hecould scarcely suppress a whine of pain. But his savage nature was notyet conquered, and, unable to leap directly into the tree, he sprangfor the trunk and came up, slowly but steadily. When he was opposite towhere Dan lay, he paused, as if uncertain what should be his next move.
If the puma was undecided, so was the youth. If he leaped to the groundagain he was certain the beast would follow him, and he had no desireto face the painter at such close quarters, especially as he had noweapon of any kind with him, unless the jack-knife in his pocket mightbe brought into play.
Ralph settled the question, both for his brother and the puma. As themustang refused to come closer, the youngest Radbury slipped to theearth and ran up directly under the bough upon which Dan rested. Atthis point he could get a fair view of the painter, and once more heblazed away, aiming for the beast's neck and head.
Ralph's shot was all that could be wished for, and it was lucky that,having fired, he leaped back, for, the instant after, the painter cametumbling down, with a thud that fairly shook the earth. The shock alsobrought down Dan, who landed just in front of the beast and lost notime in retreating to his brother's side.
"Good for you, Ralph!"
"Look out, he's not dead yet!" answered Ralph. "See, he is going tomake another leap!"
But in this the youngest Radbury was mistaken. Fatally wounded, thepainter was merely endeavouring to get up on his legs, that he mightcrawl into the bushes. He stood for a moment, then stumbled and fellflat. Twice did he try thus to rise, then with a final whining growl helay out, stretched himself, and gave a quiver or two--and all was over.
"He's dead," said Ralph, when he could collect himself sufficiently tospeak. He was trembling like a leaf in a gale of wind.
"Don't be too sure,--they are as tough as a pine-knot," answered Dan."Load up again," and he picked up his own gun, which had fallen when hewas thrown from his saddle.
But the puma was dead, beyond a doubt, and they gradually drew closerto inspect the beast they had brought down. He was at least four feetlong, and correspondingly tall and heavy, with a powerful tail and arather small head. His colour was of a tawny tint, fading out to adirty white between the limbs. The tip of the tail was black.
"He's a big fellow," remarked Ralph. "I wish we could get that skinhome. It would make a splendid rug."
"That's true, Ralph, but do you want to stay here long enough to skinhim?"
"No. But maybe we can tie him up in the tree and come back for himto-morrow or next day."
This was decided upon, and then Dan set about catching his mustang. Thepony had run to a considerable distance, but he knew Dan's whistlewell, and after this was repeated several times he came back timidly,although he would not go within a hundred feet of the dead puma.
Ralph carried a lariat, and this was tied to the dead beast and thecarcass was swung to the breeze, so that the other beasts of prey mightnot get at it.
"Of course the vultures and hawks may attack him, but that can't behelped," said Dan.
The work finished, they lost no time in continuing on their way, ridingrapidly, and keeping their eyes and ears on the alert as before. Butnothing else happened to alarm them, and shortly before midnight theycame within sight of the cabin.
"Home, sweet home!" cried Ralph. "I'll tell you I am glad
to be back."
"And so am I," added Dan. "No more fights with a painter for me."
Pompey Shuck had heard them coming, and now ran out with a lantern totake care of the horses, just as he had been in the habit of doing forhis master in Georgia, years before.
"I'se dun glad to see yo' back," he said, with a broad smile on hisebony face. "Did de sodgers git away?"
"Yes, they are off for San Antonio," replied Dan. And then he told ofthe adventure in the timber.
"A painter!" gasped Pompey. "I declar' to gracious, Mars' Dan, yo' an'Mars' Ralph dun gittin' to be reg'lar hunters, he! he! I'se glad datbeast didn't cotch dis chile!"
"I'm not anxious to hunt any more, at least for the present," saidRalph, soberly. "I'll go back for that skin, and then I'm going to workaround the ranch, and wait for news from father and the army."