“Wal, dad reckoned he was a goner, sure. But he managed to cut a limb from the tree with his huntin’-knife, an’ tied the knife to the end of it. With that he fought the beast while his comrades, who had heard his mad yells, were gittin’ to him. With the fust shot that one of ’em fired the catamount made off.
“Dad was the sickest man ye ever saw fer a spell. His wound healed after a bit, under the care of an Injun doctor; but his hair, which had been soot-black on that evenin’ when he was returnin’ to camp, was as white as milk afore he got about again; an’ he was notional and narvous-like as long as he lived.
“He said the animal was like a tremenjous big cat, about four feet high an’ five or six feet in length. It was a sort o’ bluish-gray color. An’ it had a very long tail curled up at the end, which it moved like a cat’s.
“Boys, that catamount is the only animal that an Indian is skeered of. Ask a red man to hunt a moose, a bear, or a wolf, an’ he’s ready to follow it through forest an’ swamp till he downs it or drops. But ask him to chase a panther, an’ he’ll shake his head an’ say, ‘He all one big debil!’ He calls the beast, in his own lingo, ‘lunk soos,’ which means ’Injun devil;’ an’ so we woodsmen call it too.”
It was at this moment that Lin put his head in at the cabin-door, and announced that “the wagon an’ hosses war a’ ready.”
“Wal, boys, I swan! it’s many a long year since a panther was seen in these forests, so ye needn’t feel skeery about meetin’ one,” said the old settler, as he stood outside his log home, and watched his guests start. “I’ll ’low ye won’t find travellin’ too easy ’long the ole corduroy road. Come again!”
There was much waving of hats as the wagon, a roomy, four-wheeled vehicle, moved off, with a creaking in its joints as if it were squealing a protest against its load, which consisted of the five lads, together with knapsacks, guns, tents, and the camp duffle.
“Forward, all!” shouted Dr. Phil, who had been chosen to act as captain of the two companies during the few days while they journeyed together.
Lin, who was charioteer, cracked a long whip above his horses. The boys cheered, while Doc, Cyrus, and the two guides fell behind, choosing to follow the wagon on foot for the first few miles of the journey.
“Where did you buy that, Lin?” asked Neal, climbing over to a perch beside the driver, and pointing to a heavy Colt’s revolver which the young settler was buckling round his waist.