ball, and was last seen at the foot of Merritt's hill, near
the west turnpike road. It is supposed that the animal entered
the woods and made for the mountains where a party of circus
attaches and volunteer citizens, fully armed, hope to
encounter and destroy it.

No serious damage was done by the animal, except the tearing
of a tent which had not yet been raised, as it tore at a rope
in which its leg became entangled.

When seen this morning Mr. Rinaldo Costello, owner of the
circus, said that no fear need be entertained by citizens, as
the animal would undoubtedly avoid human haunts. He added that
little hope is entertained of catching the beast alive, as
these animals are always taken when cubs, and when grown,
fight to the death all efforts to capture them. The escaped
animal, a magnificent specimen of the leopard family, was
imported by Mr. Costello at a cost of more than six thousand
dollars. In captivity it was said to be comparatively docile.
The leopard is distinctive among animals of the cat family, in
having five toes on its fore paws and four on its hind paws,
this being its unique characteristic. It is said that few full
grown leopards have ever been captured by man, and their value
is hence greater than that of all other animals save the
giraffe, which is said to be all but extinct. This leopard was
known as Marshall Foch, and was a favorite with all the circus
people.

CHAPTER XIII

AROUND THE CAMP-FIRE

As soon as we got the leopard into Mr. Hasbrook's barn, we made a hay bed
in one of the stalls and laid him there. I felt awful sorry for him now
that I knew about his history. And I wished that he had never come near me,
but got away into the mountains. Harry Donnelle held the lantern into the
stall and he looked so helpless lying there, with his feet tied together
and grass and dirt all over him and the fly paper on his face, that I kind
of blamed myself. Anyway, I was glad that his people liked him and missed
him.

Maybe he'd be glad to get back, hey?

Harry said, "Good night, Marshal Foch, and good luck to you. Just have a
little patience."

He was awfully nice, Harry was. That was just the way he talked.

Before we went into the house he said, "Suppose three or four of you kids
go back and bring our stuff here and we'll camp right here on the spot
till we get throug