drop his rifle. He instantly leaped forward to recover the
weapon, but through chance picked it up by the end of the barrel.

The panther had recovered, and was crouching as though to repeat its
jump. Only a yard lay between the fierce beast and the boy who held
the gun. Perhaps a veteran hunter would have proceeded to reverse the
weapon, and discharge it without taking the trouble to throw the stock
to his shoulder. But Bob did not dream that he would be given enough
time for all this.

He saw the beast there close to him, and his first thought was to poke
the butt of the rifle directly at its head, striking with all his
force. The blow landed heavily, but as the beast gave way, Bob lost
his balance, and fell directly toward the panther.

It looked as though the boy might be in for a terrible clawing, and so
it must have turned out had he been alone. But he had a comrade close
at hand who did not hesitate an instant about taking part in the affair.

Frank could not get at his gun, which was slung across his back; but he
knew he had a better weapon than that in hand. Wild animals dread fire
above all things; and every lad brought up on the prairie knows this
fact.

Suddenly Frank brought down his torch upon the beast with all the force
he was capable of using. There was a snarl and the animal jumped
aside, evidently not fancying the closeness of the stick that burned.
The lad again raised his torch, but evidently the panther had already
endured quite enough of the conflict. It was bad enough fighting two
human beings at a time; but when one of them persisted in belaboring
him with such a hot weapon he drew the line.

And so with a parting snarl, that was full of defiance and venom, the
panther sprang back out of sight, departing just as silently as he had
come.

"That's just like the luck," grumbled Bob.

"What's the matter now?" asked Frank, looking sharply to make sure that
the treacherous beast did not sneak back in order to attack them from
another quarter.

"Why, I'd just got my gun slewed around, and was ready to fire when he
skipped out. I'd liked to have bagged him, I reckon. A grizzly and a
panther, all on one trip, would be worth talking about."

"Oh! I don't know that you'd have been so very proud over it,"
observed Frank.

Bob looked at him as he said this.

"Now, you've got some reason for making such a remark as that," he
observed.

"Perhaps I have," answered his chum, nodding