s sure as you live."

"Well, if you insist," I said.

"I never heard of a leopard on the North American Continent," he said,
shaking his head-.

"I guess he swam over, hey?" I said.

"Jingoes, I hate to shoot him," he said.

By now all the bold, brave, heroic Silver Foxes began coming closer to get
a good pike at the leopard. Every time the animal stirred, they'd back away
again. Once the leopard stood up and pulled against the rope and rubbed his
paw over his face, and gee whiz, you should have seen that bunch scatter.
Dorry Benton went scooting into the well house.

But pretty soon they all saw that there wasn't any fight left in that wild
beast. He wasn't suffering, but he was blind and all exhausted. Even still
none of us exactly liked to touch him and we didn't get too near; even I
didn't, I have to admit it.

Harry Donnelle held the lantern over toward the animal and looked at him
ever so long, as if he just couldn't believe his eyes. "He's a magnificent
specimen," he said; "I'd give a good deal to know how he happened in these
parts."

"Oh," I said, "the woods are full of them, they were prowling all around
here when I came through. One of them was about twice as big as that." Oh
boy, you should have seen those fellows look around through the woods. Will
Dawson went into the spring house to get a drink of water; he was thirsty
all of a sudden.

All the while Harry Donnelle was kind of pondering and then he said, "A
couple of you kids go into the village and get a wheelbarrow or a cart or
something. I don't think this fellow is in pain; I'm going to take him
alive. I can't put a bullet into him. I never saw such a magnificent
specimen."

"Suppose we should meet some more," Hunt Manners said, just as he and Westy
were starting along the path.

"Take some fly paper with you," I said, "and think of your brave patrol
leader."

"You won't meet any more," Harry Donnelle said; "this fellow must have
strayed down out of the mountains. There is a species of leopard found in
America, but I never knew they grew to such a size as this, or had spots
either. Trot along and get back as soon as you can."

While the two fellows were gone, Harry tied
the leopard's fore feet and then his hind feet together with rope. He wound
it around good and plenty and tied it fast, you can bet, and then we just
sat around waiting.

Pretty soon along came the whole village, postmaster and all, and Hunt and
Westy with a wheelbar