“Yes,” spoke up Kaw, who now saw what none of the others but Sandy could see—that Rip lay hidden behind a certain rock on the hillside above. “Let Brother Sandy tell his great news privately, but let there be a witness. No doubt Wongo will do. The rest of us will wait outside, for it may be that strange things are about to happen.”
“It is agreed,” said Cho-gay, addressing Kaw, “but why would you not be the witness?”
“I am not used to caves,” replied the crow, “but Wongo lives in one.”
Kaw’s remarks decided Cho-gay to hear the news of the little fox and he said,
“Come, Brother Wongo, we will learn what Brother Sandy has to say.”
Scarcely had the three reached the back of the cave, when there came the sound of a falling rock on the hillside above, and a moment later there arose a fearful noise of combat, of wolf howls, screeches, and the snarls of an angry cat.
Then out of a tumbling mixture of cat and wolf, old Rip scrambled to his feet and tore away like mad, and a moment later disappeared in a cloud of dust on the trail below.
When Cho-gay, Wongo, and Sandy ran out of the cave to learn the cause of the awful noise, the angry but triumphant young bobcat was loping away up the mountain.
Kaw, who alone knew what had happened, was laughing so hard he was unable to answer at once the many eager questions that were asked, but when he could speak, he said:
“Brother Rip has just had a little surprise party. It seems that on his way to our gathering he must have accidentally upset the stone that stood over the entrance to the cave that housed your prisoner, Big-paw, the bobcat. It may be that he mistook Big-paw for a sheep and jumped at him before he realized his mistake. Anyway, it was a mistake for poor old Rip, and for some reason he didn’t even stop to explain. And Big-paw has gone away mad, and I fear he will not come back.”