THE MOUNTAIN LION
It was a time of extreme peril, and both of the Rover boys realized it. The shelf of rock was not over twenty feet ahead of them, and on this rested the mountain lion, crouched as if for a spring.
Fred had scarcely spoken when both horses began to snort and stamp their feet as if wanting to turn and run away.
“Look out!” screamed Andy, “or the horses will take us right back among those mad cattle.”
With the discovery of the mountain lion, that lay close to the rocky shelf with glaring eyes and tail that swept nervously from side to side, the boys had noted that the animal was as much penned in as they were themselves. Beyond the shelf was an overhanging cliff, so that further progress in that direction was cut off completely. Had this not been so, it is more than likely that the mountain lion would have turned and slunk away, for like all wild beasts they do not fight unless they think it is necessary to do so.
“Come on—give him a shot!” exclaimed Fred, as soon as he could recover from his astonishment.
His weapon was handy, and in a moment the pistol rang out sharply, and this shot was followed by one from his cousin.
Had the two boys been on the ground their shots might have been more effective. But it was another task to aim from the back of a restive horse that was threatening every instant to bolt, and so both bullets merely grazed the mountain lion’s side.
But these shots, mingled with those coming from the plain below, had one good effect. The cattle had been stopped in their mad flight and now they turned back in the direction in which the cowboys wanted them to go.
As the pistols rang out the mountain lion gave a scream of commingled pain and rage. Then it crept forward several feet and made a movement as if on the point of leaping for Fred and his steed.
“Back up! Back up, Fred!” yelled Andy, and fired a second time, and his cousin did likewise.
This time the aim of the boys was better, and the mountain lion was hit in one of the forelegs and in the flank. It made a sudden leap, but the wound in the leg made it fall short, and it fell down between the rocks directly in front of where Fred’s horse was standing.
As the mountain lion went down in the hollow the horse uttered another wild snort and an instant later leaped directly over the wild beast, coming down at the foot of the rocky ledge beyond. The steed Andy rode backed violently until some other rocks stopped its retreat.
“Hi there! What are you shooting at?” came a cry from below, and the two boys recognized the voice of Joe Jackson.
“It’s a lion!” called back Andy.
“Then plug him! Plug him quick!” yelled Jackson. “Plug him before he gets a chance to get at you!”
There was no need for this advice, for Andy was already taking aim. This time the bullet passed through the body of the lion and the beast leaped up, turning over and over convulsively. Then Fred managed to steady his mount for a moment, and he, too, fired, this time catching the mountain lion in the ear. Then the beast gave a final leap and tumbled down the rocks almost at the feet of the astonished ranch foreman.
“Are you hurt?” demanded Jackson anxiously, as he gave a glance at the lion to make certain that it was breathing its last.
“No,” came from both of the boys. But it must be confessed that their voices were trembling. They had all they could do to quiet their horses, the steeds showing a great inclination to leap over the rough rocks and run away.
By the time that Fred and Andy managed to descend to the plain below them the stampede of the cattle, which had been only momentary, was coming to an end, only two steers having run away for parts unknown.
“But they’ll come back, Boss,” said one of the cowboys to Jackson. “They always do. You can’t hire ’em to herd by themselves. They’ll sure be back.”
“A mountain lion! What do you know about that!” exclaimed Jack, as he came riding up, followed by the other boys.
“Did he hurt you at all?” questioned Spouter quickly.
“He didn’t get a chance,” answered Fred, just a bit proudly. “Andy and I let drive at him almost as soon as we saw him.”
“A pretty powerful beast, I’ll say,” remarked Gif, as he made an examination of the lion that was now dead. “I don’t think I’d like to face such a creature.”
“We had to fight him,” declared Andy. “He was right up on that rocky shelf yonder, and he couldn’t back out. If he had had the chance he’d have leaped right on us.”
“Well, you’re the prize hunters of this crowd,” declared Randy.
“You can’t put that down to hunting,” answered his twin promptly. “That was simply a case of necessity.”
“Anyway, you’ve got the lion, and that skin will make some rug,” declared Spouter.
“I wonder if there are any other mountain lions around?” remarked Gif. “I’d like to get a shot at one of them myself.”
“They often travel in pairs,” answered Joe Jackson. “But if you’re going after lions you had better arm yourselves with rifles. It was only good luck that brought this beast down with pistol bullets.”
“The pistols were good enough at close quarters,” answered Andy. “Just the same, I’d rather shoot the next mountain lion from a distance,” he added dryly.
Of course, when the boys rode up to the ranch home with the carcass of the dead lion there was a good deal of excitement among the older folks and the girls, and Fred and Andy had to tell their story in detail.
“You really must be more careful in the future, boys,” declared Mrs. Sam Rover. “Why, you might have been trampled under foot by the cattle, as well as chewed up by this mountain lion!”
“I didn’t know there was any danger of the cattle stampeding,” put in Mrs. Tom Rover.
“Oh, Jackson assures me that the stampede wasn’t of much consequence,” remarked Songbird Powell. “But, of course, the boys shouldn’t have gotten in front of the animals. But this question of facing a mountain lion is another story.”
“Py chimminy! you don’t vas cotch me facin’ no mountain lions,” declared Hans Mueller emphatically. “I did me dot years ago, ven I go oud mit your faders. But I ton’t do him no more alreatty.”
“Oh, Fred, you must be more careful!” protested May to the youngest Rover, when she got the chance. “Suppose that lion had jumped right on top of you?”
“Believe me, May, I didn’t want to get so close,” he answered. “When we discovered the beast he wasn’t over twenty feet away.”
“And they told us there weren’t very many wild beasts around here!” came from Martha. “After this I guess we had better be careful how we roam through the woods and along the river.”
“Oh, they’re not likely to harm you unless you corner them,” said Songbird Powell. “They’ll sneak away from you if you give them half a chance. It’s only when they’re cornered or when they’re needing food that they are really combative.”
The mountain lion was skinned and the pelt taken away by the ranch foreman to be cured, and then Fred and Andy took it easy for the rest of the day.
“Isn’t it queer that Brassy Bangs has never showed himself around this place?” remarked Spouter that evening. “Wouldn’t you think he’d at least ride over to see what sort of an outfit we had here?”
“More than likely he’s afraid of his welcome,” said Jack. “He knows that none of us care for him.”
“I’d like to know if he really started that auto,” put in Fred.
“Gosh, what a sour fellow that Jarley Bangs was!” exclaimed Andy.
There had been an indication of a storm, but this had passed away, and one day found the Rover boys and their chums off on a trip along a trail which led across the river and to the mountains westward, a trail which they were informed by Jackson led between the ranches owned by Jarley Bangs and Bimbel.
“I’d like to get a better view of Bimbel’s ranch and also of Bangs’ place,” declared Jack. “And maybe we’ll see something of Bud Haddon and his crowd.”
All of the boys were now on good terms with Hop Lung, and he had prepared for them a substantial lunch and also something extra in case they should remain out after the supper hour.
“Now you lads take good care of yourselves,” admonished Tom Rover, when they were ready to depart on their day’s outing. “No more rattlesnakes or mountain lions!”
“Or mix-ups with runaway cattle,” put in Sam Rover.
Spouter and Jack carried small rifles, and the others were armed with pistols. They, however, were not going out to hunt, but thought best to provide themselves with the firearms in case any game presented itself.
It did not take the boys long to cross the river, and then they followed a trail which led up a long hill and through a somewhat dense forest.
They had journeyed along the best part of two hours when they noticed the sun going under a cloud. This caused the trail under the trees to become dark.
“Gee! I wonder if we’re going to have a storm?” remarked Randy.
“Oh, maybe it’s nothing but a wind cloud,” answered Spouter.
They continued to move along the trail, and presently reached a small opening where there was a spring.
“Halt!” called out Jack, who was riding ahead with Spouter.
“What’s the matter?” questioned Gif quickly.
“Look there! Isn’t that a wolf?” asked Jack. He pointed with his rifle, which he had already unslung, and all the boys looked in the direction pointed out.
“Maybe it’s a dog,” put in Fred quickly.
“You don’t want to shoot somebody’s pet,” admonished Gif.
The animal had slunk away behind some brushwood, and now they saw it trying to retreat, pulling something through the dead leaves as it did so.
“It’s a wolf! I’m sure of it!” declared Jack, and, raising his rifle, he took quick aim and fired.
As the echo of the firearm died away the lads heard a snarl and a yelp, and an instant later a gaunt wolf showed himself, his fangs gleaming dangerously as he came closer.
Several shots rang out, for all of the boys had their weapons ready. The wolf was hit in three places, and gave a single leap into the air and then dropped lifeless.
“Hurrah! We’ve got him!” yelled Randy, with satisfaction.
“Be careful! Don’t go too close before we’re sure,” warned Jack. “Better reload first.”
But the wolf was past doing further harm, and having assured themselves of this the boys looked at what he had been carrying away.
“It’s the side of a calf!” exclaimed Spouter. “Isn’t this the limit? I’m glad we brought him down!”
“He must have been raiding some cow yard,” said Jack.
“No ranch cow yard,” said Gif. “This half of a calf was skinned by some person. I’ll bet he stole it out of some ranch larder.” And later on it was learned that the calf meat had been stolen from Jarley Bangs’ place the night before.
The boys had become so interested in bringing down the wolf that they had paid no attention to what was taking place overhead. But now they noticed that the sky was more overcast than ever. The wind began to blow through the woods, and of a sudden there came a downpour as surprising as it was dismaying.