[CHAPTER XXVIII]
THE SIXTY NUGGETS
For a moment the boy and beast stood gazing at each other. Bob felt a chill of fear run through him, and, as he saw the quivering of the brute, and noted the switching tail, he felt that he wanted to scream—to cry out for help.
Bob noticed that the mountain lion was inch by inch edging itself along the tree trunk, to get to the end.
“And when he does,” reasoned the boy, “he’s going to jump—and jump on me!”
He wanted to turn and look behind him to see how close his friends might be, and yet he steeled himself against any such action. For, somewhere, he had read that the best thing to do, when confronted by a wild beast, is to remain confronting it, looking it directly in the eyes.
“It’s my only chance!” thought Bob. “The minute I turn around he’s going to spring.”
He listened intently, but could hear no footsteps approaching, and realized that he had gotten far ahead of the others.
“Oh, why didn’t I bring my rifle along?” thought Bob. “None of us did, I guess. We thought so much of the gold that we didn’t dream we would need guns!”
Nearer and nearer crept the beast, and now, added to its quivering body and switching tail, there came low, menacing growls, to inspire more terror in the intended victim.