umbling to itself, then all of a sudden, it opened its mouth wide, as if
it was going to roar, but it didn't. It came almost up to the tree and
stood still and its tail hung on the ground and wriggled like a snake.

I have to admit that I was good and scared. I just held onto the tree and
didn't make a move; I guess I hardly breathed. Then, all of a sudden, the
branch I was standing on cracked.

CHAPTER VIII

UP A TREE

Good night!

First I thought I was going to fall, but I reached up and got hold of the
branch above and scrambled up to it. The animal was crouching on the
ground, looking up, and its eyes were just like fire. Its tail was
wriggling just like a snake. _Oh boy,_ I was scared.

But anyway, I wasn't rattled. There's a difference between being scared and
rattled. That's one thing scouts don't get-rattled. I looked down and saw
him there and I knew I was in a mighty dangerous fix, but that only made me
think harder. It seemed to me that that animal must be a leopard because he
had spots, but of course, I knew there weren't any leopards in America.
Africa is where _they_ hang out. But you can bet I didn't think much about
how he happened to be there. He was there, and that was enough for
me. Gee, I like natural history all right, but not when there's a wild
animal just below me. Nix! He was crouching and he looked just as if he
was going to make a spring for the tree. Mr. Ellsworth says that most
fights are won by quick thinking, so I knew that if I could only think of
something to do quicker than that animal could spring, I'd be all right.

First I thought I'd just shinny down and run and maybe he wouldn't follow
me. That was a punk think. All of a sudden he opened his mouth wide and
kind of hissed at me and came just about two or three inches closer to the
tree.

Then, all in a jiffy I had a-you know-what do you call those things? _An
inspiration._ I pulled the bundle around from my back and tore it open and
tore open the paper that the two chops were in. Charlie Seabury says he
ought to have the gold cross because he saved my life, but I don't see it.
Do you? Just because I was bringing the chops to him. He says he made a
sacrifice. I should worry.

Even the sound of the paper crunching made the animal move a little nearer
and hiss louder and paw the ground with one of its fore feet. I guess in a
couple more seconds he would have had me, but I just threw one of the chops
right at him and he po