“Sounds like he might have a bob-cat or a lynx,” said Bill, as they hastened along to where Moze evidently had something up a tree.
“If that’s the case, we’re in for fun,” laughed Ben.
The lads became much excited at the prospect of an encounter with either of the savage animals mentioned, and thought of the wild screech they had heard the first night in camp. Ben had told them it was made by a lynx. As they hurried along Ed determined to keep out of the way this time, for he had no desire to tumble into a mix-up with such a formidable antagonist.
“Will Moze tackle a lynx?” he asked, breathlessly.
“He’ll pitch into anything from a bear down,” Bill declared. “You’ll see fur fly in a few minutes, I guess,” he added, as the savage challenge of the hound sounded through the night.
As they drew near, Moze went racing away down the hillside, baying lustily. Whatever animal he was pursuing had evidently jumped from the tree when it heard the noisy approach of the hunters.
“That’s a bob-cat trick,” said Bill.
“Yep,” said Ben, as he cautioned the boys to be careful of their eyes while pushing through the mass of unyielding branches which swept stingingly across their faces.
Again Moze drove the unseen creature up a tree, but not before he had come close enough to make it spit and snarl wickedly. Bill now assured them that they had a bob-cat to deal with. He said there would be the fiercest kind of fight. They hurried on to where the dog was barking and growling at the base of a low, scrubby oak. The hair on his neck stood stiffly erect, and his whole manner was more defiant and threatening than when he had treed the coon. From time to time he left off barking and raised himself on his hind legs in an effort to leap into the tree.
Gazing into the tree-top but a few feet above their heads, the boys saw a pair of shining green eyes peering down into their own. They quickly withdrew from beneath the limb, and called Ben and the trapper, who had been staring into the twisted branches from the opposite side.