All were silent, and now the faint, far-away sound came again to their ears.
It seemed to be the voice of some one in distress.
Again it rang faintly on the night air.
"Those men!" exclaimed Jerry.
"I"ll bet anything they are out on the lake looking for us. They can"t see the tunnel in the dark."
"Mebbe they are half-starved and need help more than we do," suggested Hamp. "We"ve got to go out and see, fellows."
"That"s right," cried Jerry. "Come on."
He s.n.a.t.c.hed the lantern and dived into the tunnel, followed by his companions. They had not the slightest doubt that Raikes and Bogle were outside.
In their confidence and hurry, they committed the grave error of leaving their rifles behind. It never occurred to them that the strange cries might have another and totally different origin.
So, with empty hands, the lads crawled hastily forward on hands and knees down the long, straight pa.s.sage that led to the open lake.
Suddenly a sharp, blood-curdling cry vibrated on the pent-in air, and that instant a long, tawny beast, with glaring eyeb.a.l.l.s, took shape in the gloom, just beyond the lantern"s flashing rays.
CHAPTER XIII.
THE LAST OF THE CATAMOUNT.
Before the boys, at a distance of barely twelve feet, crouched the huge catamount, screeching with fury and hunger.
Bitterly, in that awful moment, did they repent the folly of venturing forth unarmed.
Brick and Hamp grabbed each other, and stared wildly about as though they expected a way of escape to open before their eyes.
Jerry was two feet in front of his companions, and when he saw that the hungry beast was about to spring, he uttered a terrific yell, and nearly let the lantern drop from his nerveless fingers.
The cry was wrung from his lips by sheer fright, but it served a good and unexpected purpose. The catamount was disturbed by the shrill echoes of a human voice. He turned tail instantly, and bolted several yards down the tunnel. Then he wheeled around again, and squatted low. His fiery eyes glared at his intended victims, and his long tail smacked the snow. He wailed several times in a whining key.
The boys were too badly scared to realize or to follow up their advantage. For the moment they were without wits or presence of mind.
"Run!" yelled Jerry; "run for the cabin!"
Running was out of the question, but the boys did the next best thing.
Turning around, they fled up the pa.s.sage on all fours, momentarily expecting to feel the claws of their enemy. Six arms and six legs revolved wildly. Jerry held grimly to the lantern, and it"s friendly light showed the way.
But ere the lads were half the distance to the storehouse, the hungry beast was bounding after them, screeching hideously at every jump.
In sheer desperation Jerry wheeled around, and saw the ugly head almost within reach of his arms. Terror prompted him to try a last device. He lifted the lantern and let it drive with all his might.
It struck the catamount on the foreshoulders, bounced off and rolled in the snow. There was a sudden puff, an explosion and a dash of burning oil in all directions. Then a series of hisses, and utter darkness.
On went the boys, groping blindly from side to side. The angle at the storehouse bothered them, and they fell together in a confused heap.
Somehow or other they got disentangled, and by pure luck Hamp and Jerry hit the tunnel and made good time toward the next curve.
Brick was not so fortunate. He went head first into the storehouse, and only discovered the mistake when his arms struck the rocky sides of the cavity.
There was no time to retreat, for he heard, close by, an angry snarl from the catamount. With almost the swiftness of a lightning-flash he remembered that there was a smaller cavity beyond the storehouse proper. Could he squeeze into it?
He did not stop to consider, but plunged forward at once. He found the hole, and in a trice his arms and head were through. The rest was a tight fit, but he kicked and scrambled, paying no heed to bruises or lacerations. At last his legs were free, and he dropped down between the rocks.
There was barely room enough for him to squat in an upright position, and even then his head sc.r.a.ped a sharp point of rock. But surely the catamount could squeeze after him.
He shouted hoa.r.s.ely as he heard a sniffing, whining noise close by, followed by a blood-curdling screech. He believed that his companions had fled and left him to his fate. He had matches in his pocket, and almost unconsciously he drew one out and struck it.
It was well that he did so. The catamount had already gained the larger cavity beyond. His wicked head, with its flattened ears, was just gliding into the crevice that led to Brick"s retreat. The lad uttered yell after yell, and the brute paused. A moment later he retreated to the outer mouth of the storehouse, for Brick had ignited his handkerchief, and tossed the flaming ma.s.s forward.
The blaze showed Brick a slab of loose rock lying at his feet. He s.n.a.t.c.hed it up, and wedged it into the crevice with all his might. He tore off his coat, and jammed that in beside the rock.
The handkerchief was now nearly consumed, and when the last spark faded away, the catamount came on more determinedly than ever. His yowls of fury floated through the tunnel with dismal reverberations. He sniffed and snorted, and began to tear at the obstacles that blocked the crevice.
Brick shouted for help as he pulled the two remaining matches out of his pocket. His nerveless fingers let them drop, and a hasty search of the hard, stony ground proved futile.
Suddenly Brick felt a stinging sensation, and half of his shirt-sleeve was ripped off his left arm. The catamount had thrust a paw through the crevice.
Brick retreated as far as possible, wedging himself so tightly between the rocks that he could scarcely move a limb. Here he crouched and trembled. He knew that drops of warm blood were trickling down his arm, but he felt no pain. He wondered why the boys did not come to his rescue. Scarcely a foot away the catamount tore and scratched at the barricade, pausing every now and then to utter a fearful screech. The brute had doubtless been prowling about on the lake since the beginning of the storm, and was ravenous with the pangs of hunger.
Suddenly a rattling noise told Brick that the slab of rock was loose, and a moment later he heard it tumble in with a dull crash.
He gave himself up for lost.
Let us return, for a short time, to Hamp and Jerry.
Spurred on by mortal fear, they turned all the curves of the tunnel with a speed and accuracy that they could scarcely have excelled by the light of a lantern. Not until they tumbled breathlessly into the cabin, and sc.r.a.ped a match, did they discover Brick"s absence. Then the tumult of sounds that rang out behind them told a plain tale.
"He"s taken refuge in the storehouse," cried Jerry, "and the catamount is trying to get at him."
"That"s just it," echoed Hamp. "Come on, quick, or we"ll be too late."
In three minutes--an eternity to poor Brick--they were crawling rapidly back through the tunnel. Jerry had a rifle, and Hamp a double-barreled shotgun loaded with big shot. From one side of Jerry"s belt swung the lantern, and in the other was thrust a bunch of pine boughs soaked in oil. As the boys advanced, they heard Brick"s cries for help, mingled with the screeching of the catamount.
"So far he"s safe," whispered Jerry. "I"ll shoot first, and you be ready to follow."
"I"ll give the brute both barrels, if they"re needed," muttered Hamp.
They were now at the wall of the ravine, and a moment later they turned into the pa.s.sage that led to the storehouse. The rocks were in sight, but no catamount. Evidently the creature was inside. A loud scratching and whining mingled with Brick"s hoa.r.s.e cries.
The boys crept nearer and nearer. They were trembling a little now, but they went pluckily on.