So the two guides slowly lifted their rifles and aimed. But the lynx had crept closer to the deer, which in turn sent a swift look of apprehension back at the beast that was now preparing to spring the moment the lynx leaped. The deer lifted its muzzle high and bleated forth a wailing cry, and at the same moment two rifles sounded.
The instant before they rang out, the lynx had jumped right at the throat of the deer, and the instant after the panther had leaped also.
The bullet sped faster than the lynx could spring, and the latter fell with a heavy thud to roll over in the buffalo gra.s.s at the forefeet of the deer.
Omney"s shot at the panther, however, struck its right shoulder instead of a fatal spot. When the lynx rolled under the nose of the panic-stricken deer, the poor creature jumped over against the wall of aspens, and this leap spared its life. For the panther, instead of ripping open its throat as it planned to do, clawed a tear in its side and then rolled over on the gra.s.s. Instantly, the wild beast was up and about to spring again, when a shot from Tally"s gun ended its preying.
The frightened deer had seen the animal rise to spring again, but her eyes were so blinded with the pain and fury of the gash in her side, that she leaped high and brought both hoofs down upon her dead antagonist. Again and again she lifted her stiffened forelegs and drove her sharp hoofs into the spine of the dead panther. Finally, however, the deer realized that her enemy was dead, and swiftly she wheeled and fled from the clearing through the opening opposite the scouts.
As she disappeared, the girls relaxed the nervous tension that had held them absolutely motionless during the battle. Now they sighed, and Mrs. Vernon sat down where she had stood. Betty began crying softly, and said, "The poor deer! I hope its side will heal."
"Sure! Him go roll in mud of shallow spring and it heal," Tally a.s.sured her.
The lynx and panther were found to be splendid specimens of their individual kinds, and the scouts had the satisfaction of knowing that this big game had not been shot for mere sport. But, having saved the deer"s life by shooting the two wild beasts, the pelts naturally became trophies for the scouts to send home.
"They"re awfully big brutes, girls. We"ll never be able to carry them both back to camp to-day," said Mrs. Vernon.
"Skin "em--onny take back pelts," said Omney.
"We want to have them stuffed, Hominy, so we need the heads and feet, too," said Julie.
Tally looked at Omney and spoke in his native language. Then he turned to the scouts and interpreted what he said.
"I say, Omney skin animals wid head an" feet on--us go on an" help Omney on way back. Him done skin den."
As no new adventure befell them that day, they retraced their steps and stopped for Omney and the pelts. That night the story was told to the three men, and it lost none of its coloring by having five scouts tell it, turn and turn about.
Scrub did not return to camp that night, and Mr. Lewis told Omney to start immediately after breakfast in the morning and see if any untoward accident had happened to the dog. Tally and the scouts would not remain behind, for they were very fond of the pet and worried lest he had been killed by a wild beast.
They chose the trail they had seen Scrub take the two previous days, and after climbing the mountain for a time, Tally and Omney argued over following a faint trail through a jungle. Tally pointed to a paw-track in the soft earth, but Omney declared it was not a dog"s track.
Yet Tally won his way, and started into the dense thicket. He had not gone more than a few yards before he exclaimed jubilantly and pointed to a wisp of Scrub"s hair that had been caught on a briar. Then Omney meekly admitted that Tally must be right in his intuitions.
After following the faint trail for a short time, Julie called out, "I"m sure I heard a dog bark just now."
"Let"s shout. Maybe Scrub"s lost and is calling to us," explained Betty, anxiously.
"Lost! Now Betty, you don"t know that dog if you say he could be lost," retorted Joan.
They all distinctly heard a shrill bark, now, and Tally said, "Sound like him got wild animal trapped, an" wan" us help."
Finally they were near enough to hear Scrub bark and yelp in reply to the plaintive whining of some other animal. Then Tally advised the girls, "You no call Scrub when you come up. Dog look to see you, an"
animal jump on him. No say anyting, but wait an" let Tally shoot."
This was hard sense, and the scouts agreed to obey. Just then they reached a spot where the forest trees were not so closely grown. Tally held his rifle ready to shoot if necessary, to spare the dog"s life, but when he came out of the fringe of pines that circled the small clearing where the dog barked, he stood amazed.
The scouts deplored the fact that the camera had been left at camp, as usual, for here was a most unique picture. Scrub stood stiffly, the hair along his spine standing upright from excitement. His stub tail vibrated so swiftly that one could not see it move--it seemed a blur of action. His front legs were braced, and he was yelping and barking at two little bear cubs.
They appeared as distressed and confused as the dog. One, the larger of the two, glared at Scrub with ferocious mien and at intervals, when the dog stopped barking for time to breathe, it would charge threateningly, but never got near enough to grapple with the dog.
The smaller cub circled whiningly about a huddled ma.s.s that lay under a great pine log. It would sniff about the heap and then sit upon its little haunches and cry quiveringly. It was this wail the scouts had heard in the distance.
At times Scrub would run over to the trail whence he found his friends approaching, then the little male-cub would join his sister at the black heap, and both would whine pitifully to the mother that was insensible to their cry. The moment Scrub was aware of any movement on the part of his opponent, he would tear back to engage his enemy in another wrangle of sounds.
"Um! No wonder Scrub no come home las" night!" laughed Tally.
"Maybe that"s why he was so excited the night before--he wanted to tell us," ventured Joan.
"Yes, but I"m surprised that he remained, when he found we would not follow him," added Julie.
"He may have feared we might move camp and he would be left behind,"
suggested Mrs. Vernon.
"I go see why mudder don" help cubs," said Tally. So he started across the clearing, followed by the girls.
"Um! See--big log fall from tree jus" when bear go un"ner," said the Indian, pointing up at the split bough that had been severed by lightning, with its heavy end left dangling for a time. It had fallen and struck the black mother-bear just as she was pa.s.sing under, and it must have instantly killed her.
"The poor little babies!" sighed Betty.
"Can"t we catch them and train them?" asked Julie, eagerly.
"Dem die sure in woods--or beastes eat "em," said Tally.
"Dear me, we mustn"t have that!" cried Mrs. Vernon.
"If we could only tame them and send them to the Zoo in New York--what a fine thing that would be for the Girl Scouts" Organization. It would be quite an honor," exclaimed Ruth.
During the unfamiliar sound and sight of the scouts, the cubs blinked fearfully at them. What new calamity was now at hand--and mother lying there so still and helpless?
Scrub was ordered away from the bears and made to mind, while Tally planned how to catch the cubs.
"I use rope an" la.s.so bof," said he.
"We"ll surround the cubs, Tally, and Scrub can keep guard so they won"t run away, while you catch them," planned Julie.
It was an easy task to catch the little girl-cub and tie her to a tree near the mother bear. But it was another matter to catch the boy-cub.
Tally threw the la.s.so, but it merely struck the rump of the little fellow as he turned to investigate what his sister, who had been given a chunk of cake by one of the scouts, was eating.
The cub resented the slap from the rope, and snapped at it. But Tally dragged the la.s.so back, coaxing the bear-cub much nearer. When the rope was caught up to coil again, the frightened little fellow raced back to the tree where his sister sat. He was so cunning in his awkward gait that the scouts laughed heartily.
This time the rope caught him truly, and he rolled over with a jerk.
He clawed and snapped and yelped at the bonds that kept him from running away; and when Tally took in the rope, the cub snapped viciously at him. Then the guide had to throw his coat over the cub"s head and fall upon it to wrap him in the folds.
But the forepaws were free, so the cub used them well, trying to tear the garment away from his head. So strong was the little fellow that Tally had his hands full to finally tie him about the neck. In this fight the cub earned his name of "Snap."
When both cubs were securely tied to the tree, Tally went over to examine the old mother-bear. The scouts followed and stood looking down upon the huge body sprawled under the heavy log.
"Her dead at once. Her not hear babies cry--or nuddin"," explained Tally, trying to lift the log from her back.