CHAPTER XIII.
THE LAST OF THE CATAMOUNT.
Before the boys, at a distance of barely twelve feet, crouched the hugecatamount, screeching with fury and hunger.
Bitterly, in that awful moment, did they repent the folly of venturingforth unarmed.
Brick and Hamp grabbed each other, and stared wildly about as thoughthey expected a way of escape to open before their eyes.
Jerry was two feet in front of his companions, and when he saw that thehungry beast was about to spring, he uttered a terrific yell, and nearlylet the lantern drop from his nerveless fingers.
The cry was wrung from his lips by sheer fright, but it served a goodand unexpected purpose. The catamount was disturbed by the shrill echoesof a human voice. He turned tail instantly, and bolted several yardsdown the tunnel. Then he wheeled around again, and squatted low. Hisfiery eyes glared at his intended victims, and his long tail smackedthe snow. He wailed several times in a whining key.
The boys were too badly scared to realize or to follow up theiradvantage. For the moment they were without wits or presence of mind.
"Run!" yelled Jerry; "run for the cabin!"
Running was out of the question, but the boys did the next best thing.
Turning around, they fled up the passage on all fours, momentarilyexpecting to feel the claws of their enemy. Six arms and six legsrevolved wildly. Jerry held grimly to the lantern, and it's friendlylight showed the way.
But ere the lads were half the distance to the storehouse, the hungrybeast was bounding after them, screeching hideously at every jump.
In sheer desperation Jerry wheeled around, and saw the ugly head almostwithin reach of his arms. Terror prompted him to try a last device. Helifted the lantern and let it drive with all his might.
It struck the catamount on the foreshoulders, bounced off and rolled inthe snow. There was a sudden puff, an explosion and a dash of burningoil in all directions. Then a series of hisses, and utter darkness.
On went the boys, groping blindly from side to side. The angle at thestorehouse bothered them, and they fell together in a confused heap.Somehow or other they got disentangled, and by pure luck Hamp and Jerryhit the tunnel and made good time toward the next curve.
Brick was not so fortunate. He went head first into the storehouse, andonly discovered the mistake when his arms struck the rocky sides of thecavity.
There was no time to retreat, for he heard, close by, an angry snarlfrom the catamount. With almost the swiftness of a lightning-flash heremembered that there was a smaller cavity beyond the storehouseproper. Could he squeeze into it?
He did not stop to consider, but plunged forward at once. He found thehole, and in a trice his arms and head were through. The rest was atight fit, but he kicked and scrambled, paying no heed to bruises orlacerations. At last his legs were free, and he dropped down between therocks.
There was barely room enough for him to squat in an upright position,and even then his head scraped a sharp point of rock. But surely thecatamount could squeeze after him.
He shouted hoarsely as he heard a sniffing, whining noise close by,followed by a blood-curdling screech. He believed that his companionshad fled and left him to his fate. He had matches in his pocket, andalmost unconsciously he drew one out and struck it.
It was well that he did so. The catamount had already gained the largercavity beyond. His wicked head, with its flattened ears, was justgliding into the crevice that led to Brick's retreat. The lad utteredyell after yell, and the brute paused. A moment later he retreated tothe outer mouth of the storehouse, for Brick had ignited hishandkerchief, and tossed the flaming mass forward.
The blaze showed Brick a slab of loose rock lying at his feet. Hesnatched it up, and wedged it into the crevice with all his might. Hetore off his coat, and jammed that in beside the rock.
The handkerchief was now nearly consumed, and when the last spark fadedaway, the catamount came on more determinedly than ever. His yowls offury floated through the tunnel with dismal reverberations. He sniffedand snorted, and began to tear at the obstacles that blocked thecrevice.
Brick shouted for help as he pulled the two remaining matches out of hispocket. His nerveless fingers let them drop, and a hasty search of thehard, stony ground proved futile.
Suddenly Brick felt a stinging sensation, and half of his shirt-sleevewas ripped off his left arm. The catamount had thrust a paw through thecrevice.
Brick retreated as far as possible, wedging himself so tightly betweenthe rocks that he could scarcely move a limb. Here he crouched andtrembled. He knew that drops of warm blood were trickling down his arm,but he felt no pain. He wondered why the boys did not come to hisrescue. Scarcely a foot away the catamount tore and scratched at thebarricade, pausing every now and then to utter a fearful screech. Thebrute had doubtless been prowling about on the lake since the beginningof the storm, and was ravenous with the pangs of hunger.
Suddenly a rattling noise told Brick that the slab of rock was loose,and a moment later he heard it tumble in with a dull crash.
He gave himself up for lost.
Let us return, for a short time, to Hamp and Jerry.
Spurred on by mortal fear, they turned all the curves of the tunnel witha speed and accuracy that they could scarcely have excelled by the lightof a lantern. Not until they tumbled breathlessly into the cabin, andscraped a match, did they discover Brick's absence. Then the tumult ofsounds that rang out behind them told a plain tale.
"He's taken refuge in the storehouse," cried Jerry, "and the catamountis trying to get at him."
"That's just it," echoed Hamp. "Come on, quick, or we'll be too late."
In three minutes--an eternity to poor Brick--they were crawling rapidlyback through the tunnel. Jerry had a rifle, and Hamp a double-barreledshotgun loaded with big shot. From one side of Jerry's belt swung thelantern, and in the other was thrust a bunch of pine boughs soaked inoil. As the boys advanced, they heard Brick's cries for help, mingledwith the screeching of the catamount.
"So far he's safe," whispered Jerry. "I'll shoot first, and you be readyto follow."
"I'll give the brute both barrels, if they're needed," muttered Hamp.
They were now at the wall of the ravine, and a moment later they turnedinto the passage that led to the storehouse. The rocks were in sight,but no catamount. Evidently the creature was inside. A loud scratchingand whining mingled with Brick's hoarse cries.
The boys crept nearer and nearer. They were trembling a little now, butthey went pluckily on.
Suddenly a dull crash was heard, and Brick's voice rose instantly to ashrill pitch. The boys shouted in return, and Jerry quickly lighted historch.
The racket brought the catamount out from the storehouse like a streak.The ugly beast glared at the boys and the torch. He was hungry for theformer, but afraid of the latter. He realized that he was outmatched,and, turning his tail, he bounced into the passage that led to the lake,wailing like a spoiled child.
It all happened so quickly that Jerry lost the opportunity he wanted. Hedashed to the angle, and pitched the torch far ahead. It flared upbrightly, showing the beast in a crouching attitude on the edge of thegloom. Jerry took a quick aim, and fired.
The report rang out with stunning violence. Its echoes were followed bya dismal wail and a shower of snow clods from the roof of the tunnel,some of which extinguished the torch. When the smoke lifted, thecatamount had disappeared, though it was doubtless not far away.
With a glad cry of welcome, Brick crawled out from the storehouse, coatin hand. His sleeveless arm was stained with blood, and the wound provedto consist of several severe scratches.
"You just came in time, fellows," he said. "The beast had knocked mybarricade down, and in a few seconds more he would have had me. Do youthink you hit him?"
"I don't believe it," growled Jerry. "Seems to me I can't shoot worth acent any more. Still, I didn't have a fair shot. But we had better beget
ting back to the cabin instead of fooling away time here."
"You bet we had," assented Hamp. "It's the only safe place. Thatcatamount will be after us again, or he ain't the kind of an Indiandevil I take him for."
Brick was nervously anxious to start, and at once took the lead of hiscompanions. They hurried around angle after angle, and when they werehalf-way through the final passage, they heard the creature's patteringstrides behind them.
Brick and Hamp bolted into the cabin. Jerry paused on the threshold, andwheeled around. He was frightened to see the catamount within six feetof him. But he kept a cool head, and lifted his rifle, which he hadmeanwhile reloaded. There was no time to hesitate. He aimed, and pulledthe trigger.
With the stunning report that followed, he rolled backward into thecabin and sprang to his feet. A frightful scream of blended rage andagony echoed through the tunnel, and the startled boys hastily pushedthe sled against the door. Then they backed off, and waited. Jerrydisengaged the still burning lantern from his belt, and placed it on thefloor.
Another horrid scream, pitched in a strain of mortal agony. Then a bangand a crash. Away went the sled, and plump into the cabin tumbled thewounded and infuriated catamount.
It was well for the lads that Hamp retained his presence of mind. Like aflash the double barreled shotgun went to his shoulder. Twice he pulledthe trigger.
Bang, bang! a rasping screech mingled with the stunning reports. Thenall was still. When the curtain of powder smoke slowly lifted, thequaking boys saw their ferocious enemy quivering in his death throes onthe blood-stained pine boughs.