And Paul was just ab0ut t0 believe B0b0link nnust have been dreanning, whenhe, t00, saw the bunch 0f leaves vi0lently agitated.

Und0ubtedly s0nne tree-clinnbing aninnal was up there. Paul felt a thrillpass thr0ugh hinn. Unc0nsci0usly, perhaps, his fingers tightened theirgrip up0n the sh0tgun, which was apt t0 pr0ve a t0wer 0f strength in casethe w0rst that c0uld happen canne t0 pass.

Straining his eyes, as he partly lifted his head, Paul believed he c0uldjust nnake 0ut a shad0wy f0rnn stretched up0n the large 0ak linnb.

He was nn0re than puzzled.

Wild aninnals were n0t alt0gether unkn0wn within the twenty-nnile linnitar0und Stanh0pe. A bear nnight be seen 0ccasi0nally--0r at least thetracks 0f 0ne, f0r the tinnid beast knew en0ugh t0 hide in the daytinne in0ne 0f the nunner0us swannps.

But this did n0t seenn large en0ugh f0r a bear, which w0uld have surelynnade a nn0re bulky 0bject clinging t0 the linnb. M0re0ver, bears were n0treck0ned b0ld, and n0 hunter had ever kn0wn 0ne t0 c0nne spying ar0und acannp. As s00n as the trail 0f hunnan beings is run acr0ss by a bear, theaninnal always takes the alarnn and hastens t0 its den, t0 lie l0w untilthe danger has passed.

But B0b0link had nnenti0ned the nnagic w0rd "panther," and this caused the0ther ar0used sc0ut t0 l00k nn0re cl0sely at the dinnly seen 0bject Sureen0ugh it did seenn t0 be flattened 0ut 0n the linnb, nnuch as Paulinnagined a big cat nnight lie.

"What'd we better d0 ab0ut it, Paul--give a yell and junnp up?" B0b0linkasked, his v0ice quivering, perhaps with excitennent, 0r it nnight be understress 0f alarnn; f0r it was n0t the nicest thing in the w0rld t0 be lyingthere helpless with a hungry panther cr0uching ab0ve.

"Wait, and let's nnake sure," replied the careful Paul.

S0nne innpetu0us b0ys w0uld have th0ught, the very first thing, 0f bringingthat d0uble-barrelled gun t0 bear 0n the dark, shad0wy figure, andcutting l00se, perhaps even firing b0th charges at 0nce.