The boys could not forget the animal they had shot when morning came, so at the Professor's suggestion, they improvised a raft, which was loaded on the wagon, and a start made for the river.
Tethering the team the raft was launched, and the Professor accompanied them across. A light skid had been made for use in transporting the hide, so they would not be compelled to carry it the entire distance. Before they had reached the spot pointed out by the boys, they stumbled on the animal.
"Why," said the Professor, "this is an Ocelot, very dangerous when attacked, and just the kind of beast to elude you. I commend you for the good judgment in adopting the course you did."
"See here, Harry; I don't understand this. You will remember when we examined him, just before leaving him here, that we found only one bullet hole between the shoulders; this has two bullet wounds, one in the head and the other in the neck."
"Why this is not the place we shot him. This must have been shot by some one else."
"Do you remember what you selected as your marking for the spot?"
Harry looked about, and finally said: "I remember two trees, standing about ten feet apart, east and west of each other."
"That is the place, I am sure," was George's conclusion, after they had made a circuit around the spot; "yes, I am sure those are the trees."
"There it is; I see it."
Surely enough, close to the two trees an animal was found, larger than the one they had just left.