The acetylene gas lamp of the launch was ready for use, and striking
a match Harold Bird lit it. The sharp rays were turned on the water,
and there dog and bob cat could be seen whirling around in a mad
struggle for supremacy.

Bang! went Dick's pistol. He had taken quick but accurate aim, and
the bob cat was hit in the side. It went under with a yelp, letting
go of the dog as it did so. Dandy gave a final nip and then turned
and swam back to the launch and was helped aboard by his master.

"Wonder if the bob cat is dead?" asked Fred, in a voice that he tried
in vain to steady.

"Hasn't come up again," came laconically from Songbird. He had taken
the lamp from Harold Bird and was sending the rays over the surface
of the lake in several directions.

They watched for several minutes and then made out the dead form of
the bob cat floating among the bushes on the opposite side of the
little cove.

"Done for--and I am glad of it," murmured Tom, and he wiped the cold
perspiration from his forehead.

"I don't know if we are out of the woods or not," said the owner of
the launch. "Where there is one bob cat there are often more."

"In that case I think we had better move the boat away from the
shore," answered Dick. "It may not be as comfortable as under the
trees but it will be safer."

At that moment the gas lamp began to flicker and die down.

"Here, give the lamp to me," said the launch owner, and taking the
lamp he shook it and tried to turn more water on the carbide. But
the water would not run for some reason and a few seconds later the
light went out.

In the darkness the boys started to untie the launch. As they did
this they heard a movement in the tree directly over their heads and
then came the cry of a bob cat calling its mate.

"There's another!" yelled Sam. "Say, we had better get out as fast
as we can!"

The gasoline launch was just shoved away from the tree limb when the
bob cat above made a leap and landed on the bow of the craft! It
glared a moment at the boys, its two eyes shining like balls of fire,
and then started to make a leap.

Bang! crack! bang! went three pistols in rapid succession, and as
the reports died away the bob cat fell in a heap on the bottom of
the launch, snarling viciously. Then Dandy, still exhausted from his
fight in the water, leaped on the beast and held it down while Tom
finished it with a bullet in the ear.

"Is it dead?" asked Songbird, after a painful silence