CHAPTER XVII
FRANK HOLDS THE HOT STICK
"No hurry," said Frank, who realized that his comrade was worked up toa high pitch of excitement, and thought it the part of wisdom to dosomething in order to quiet Bob's nerves.
"But if we've got to try it, Frank, what's the use of waiting?"demanded the impetuous one.
"Well, for one thing, we don't want to be carrying these candleswithout making use of one, you see," replied Frank, who was againgetting out his handy matchsafe.
"What a silly I am, to be sure," laughed Bob; "why of course we want alight, if we're going to invade that den of the demon Joe told usabout. What do you think about that yarn, Frank; did he meet up withanything; or was he just scared out of his seven senses? Perhapsthere's a strong current of air in that place, along with the noise,and that took hold of Joe."
"Well, I wouldn't like to say," replied the other, cautiously. "This Ido know, and I saw it with my own eyes. Joe's fancy Mexican jacket wastorn nearly into ribbons; and I could see marks of blood, too."
"Whew! you don't say?" ejaculated Bob. "Then something _did_ get holdof him; didn't it, Frank?"
"Looked like it," admitted the other.
"His jacket was torn into ribbons, you said--then I reckon whatevertackled Joe had pretty sharp claws, Frank!" Bob continued.
"I thought as much myself. In other words, Bob, the man was attackedby some wild beast that has its den in yonder. In the dark, with allthat terrible noise going on, Joe thought it was a monster from theunderworld. If he keeps on telling that story, ten to one, after awhile, he'll vow it had eyes of fire, and a tongue of blue flame. Joewas frightened half to death, and a man in that condition gets toseeing things that never did exist. Now, how's that?"
While speaking Frank had managed to light one of the cedar torches hecarried. The wood burned readily, and with persistence. It would makea good substitute for a lantern. Indeed, Bob was enthusiastic over thesuccess attending his chum's effort.
"Couldn't be beat, that's what!" he cried.
"Well, there's nothing to keep us now," declared Frank.
"But what can I do?" asked the other. "Want me to light a torch too,Frank?"
"No, one ought to be enough. You fall in just behind me, and Bob,perhaps you'd better keep your gun handy."
"Oh! you're thinking now of that demon Joe told about, eh, Frank?"
"Perhaps. If it jumps out at us give a center shot, if you can," thesaddle boy advised, as he led the way forward toward the black spotwhich they had guessed must be the cave entrance spoken of by SpanishJoe.
They were quickly at the wall, and had no difficulty in learning that,just as they had guessed, the yawning hole was there. Frank, withoutthe slightest hesitation, stepped through the opening. Bob didlikewise, holding his gun in readiness for immediate use.
The light of the blazing torch lighted up the interior. They could seethat, so far, there was nothing remarkable about the cave, save that itseemed to stretch away into dim distance, with various twists andcurves.
"What are you sniffing about, Frank?" demanded Bob, who, in thesilence, heard what his comrade was doing.
"I think I scent something, that's all," replied the other.
"Not brimstone and sulphur, I hope?" cried Bob.
"Well, hardly," chuckled the other. "In fact, it seemed to me that itwas only such an odor as you can always detect around the den of a wildbeast!"
"Glory! then Joe didn't dream it, after all; and there may be an oldgrizzly in this cave!" ejaculated Bob.
"Not a grizzly," declared Frank, quickly. "If anything, I think itmust be a panther. But he may have left after attacking Joe, so thatwe'll have no trouble with the beast."
"I hope so," Bob remarked, as he strove to look seven ways at once,keeping his finger on the trigger of his repeating rifle all the while.
They were now advancing into the cave.
"Do you think Joe had a torch?" asked Bob, as a new idea came to him.
"Well, he isn't the man to take chances, and he couldn't help but seethe good torch material at the door yonder. But the beast may havejumped on his back, so he lost his torch before he could see. And thenhe fought in the dark. Joe has always been known as a hard fighter,and with his knife I reckon he could give a good account of himself.Hello! see here!"
Bob started when his chum gave this sudden exclamation.
"Oh! I thought you had sighted the panther!" he gasped as he loweredthe gun, which had, perhaps through mere instinct, gone up to hisshoulder.
Frank was bending down. He held his torch in such a fashion that hecould see better; and he appeared to be examining something on the rock.
"What is it?" asked Bob, eagerly; "footprints?"
"No, just a little spot of blood," came the reply.
"Fresh, too, I can see," declared the tenderfoot, as he looked. "Doesthat mean this is the exact place where Joe had his little circus,Frank?"
"I reckon it is," replied the other.
"Then if that beast hasn't cleared out we might run across him beforelong!" remarked Bob.
"Oh!"
Frank gave utterance to this cry. He had seen some object flashthrough the air, and knew it could be nothing else than the lithe bodyof a panther making a leap.
The animal must have had a place of hiding close by, from which it hadprobably jumped upon the shoulders of Spanish Joe, and now sought torepeat that act.
Bob was struck by the descending body of the animal; and while he didnot suffer serious injury from the blow, it jarred his arm, and causedhim to drop his rifle. He instantly leaped forward to recover theweapon, but through chance picked it up by the end of the barrel.
The panther had recovered, and was crouching as though to repeat itsjump. Only a yard lay between the fierce beast and the boy who heldthe gun. Perhaps a veteran hunter would have proceeded to reverse theweapon, and discharge it without taking the trouble to throw the stockto his shoulder. But Bob did not dream that he would be given enoughtime for all this.
He saw the beast there close to him, and his first thought was to pokethe butt of the rifle directly at its head, striking with all hisforce. The blow landed heavily, but as the beast gave way, Bob losthis balance, and fell directly toward the panther.
It looked as though the boy might be in for a terrible clawing, and soit must have turned out had he been alone. But he had a comrade closeat hand who did not hesitate an instant about taking part in the affair.
Frank could not get at his gun, which was slung across his back; but heknew he had a better weapon than that in hand. Wild animals dread fireabove all things; and every lad brought up on the prairie knows thisfact.
Suddenly Frank brought down his torch upon the beast with all the forcehe was capable of using. There was a snarl and the animal jumpedaside, evidently not fancying the closeness of the stick that burned.The lad again raised his torch, but evidently the panther had alreadyendured quite enough of the conflict. It was bad enough fighting twohuman beings at a time; but when one of them persisted in belaboringhim with such a hot weapon he drew the line.
And so with a parting snarl, that was full of defiance and venom, thepanther sprang back out of sight, departing just as silently as he hadcome.
"That's just like the luck," grumbled Bob.
"What's the matter now?" asked Frank, looking sharply to make sure thatthe treacherous beast did not sneak back in order to attack them fromanother quarter.
"Why, I'd just got my gun slewed around, and was ready to fire when heskipped out. I'd liked to have bagged him, I reckon. A grizzly and apanther, all on one trip, would be worth talking about."
"Oh! I don't know that you'd have been so very proud over it,"observed Frank.
Bob looked at him as he said this.
"Now, you've got some reason for making such a remark as that," heobserved.
"Perhaps I have," answered his chum, nodding wisely.
"Then out with it, Frank, and don't ke
ep me wondering. Besides, Ireckon that we'll have another bellow from the old mountain at any timenow."
"I guess you didn't notice something queer about that animal, then,Bob?"
"About the panther, you mean?" came the reply. "Well, to tell thehonest truth I was knocked all in a heap when I missed hitting him, anddidn't have time to bother looking at him close enough to see anything.But what was so funny about him, Frank? Did he have only one eye; orwas he three-legged?"
"Oh! nothing of that sort," declared the other; "so far as I know he isin possession of all his members. It was about his neck."
"What about it? Did he have a rubber neck, you mean?" demanded Bob,trying to be a little humorous so as to conceal the fact of hisexcitement.
"The beast had a collar on!" Frank remarked, positively; "and thatmeans he must be the pet of somebody who has a hiding place in thiscave!"