Frank seemed to have the same idea, for he hastened into the cabin; and when he immediately returned carrying the repeating gun that had served him on many occasions in the past, Will appeared to think that it was all over but the shouting, such was the confidence he felt in his chum.
"How is it now?" asked Frank, as he came up.
"Why, the tree is heading this way; that is, I mean we seem to be bearing straight down on it," Jerry replied; and considering the excitement that all of the chums were laboring under just then, it was not strange that he found himself mixed up slightly in his description of the way things were going.
"If we keep on gaining we"ll come mighty near running the tree down,"
Bluff added. "And then you"ll get a chance to give the panther his pa.s.sage ticket."
"But the tree acts queer," Will declared. "Every now and then it just swings, and turns around. Now you see it, and now you don"t. Sometimes the branches are heading in our direction, and again it"s the b.u.t.t; with the ugly cat lying there waiting till he gets good and hungry, when he expects to make a meal from one of that poor family."
"Huh!" grunted Bluff, "I rather think that critter is keeping an eye on us. Chances are he just feels it in his bones that we"d be bound to break up his dinner party, somehow; eh, Frank?"
"He"s moving," replied the one addressed; "and seems to be creeping toward the people right now!"
"Sure!" declared Jerry; "you can hear them hollering to beat the band; but they make so much noise I don"t seem to be able to understand anything they say."
"They"re trying to tell us what the panther is doing; and begging us to shoot him as quick as we can," Frank said, with a serious look on his face.
"Which same you"re only too willing to do, I reckon?" remarked Bluff.
"But the trouble is, I don"t seem able to fire from here without taking some chances of hitting one of the people," Frank went on, betraying what was worrying him so much. "A bullet can strike the hard limb of a tree, and be deflected in all sorts of queer ways, you know."
"Frank, you are right, there," said old Luther Snow, admiringly.
"But we must do something to help them, Frank!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Will, himself ready to undertake the work of rescue if his companions failed to think up a remedy for the trouble.
"That"s right!" cried Bluff; and immediately he disappeared in the cabin; which the others knew meant that he was after the pump-gun, upon which he seemed to place so much dependence, though it hardly seemed the right kind of weapon when facing a panther.
"I was thinking," Frank went on, as if making up his mind; "that if I dropped into our little dinghy, I might paddle around to the other side of the tree, and get a crack at the beast."
"You"re just right you could, Frank!" admitted Jerry; and even Will, although not used to much in this line, nodded his head.
Then he vanished, as though an idea had struck him; and Frank understood. Will, too, had gone to arm himself, not with a gun, but his snapshot camera, which he meant to use in taking several pictures of the strange scene, with the floating tree, the family hanging in the branches; and perhaps a glimpse of the savage beast crouching there.
Will and Bluff appeared at almost the same time, and it was to find Frank hastening to drop into the little skiff which they dignified by the better sounding name of dinghy or "d.i.n.ky." Frank had already placed his rifle aboard, with the muzzle turned away from him, as every careful hunter always makes sure of doing.
"Set me loose, Jerry," he remarked.
They had almost overtaken the big tree, in the branches of which this strange little comedy, that threatened to become a tragedy at any minute, was taking place.
"Can you see him from up there, boys?" called out Frank, as, paddle in hand, he started the boat down the current, and in a direction that would allow him to get below the tree.
"There! I got a fine shot at him then!" cried Will; who, being an artist, was always on the lookout for a pose, and a picture that would do him credit when exposed to the gaze of his friends at home.
"But he dodged right afterwards," added Jerry; "and I don"t see him now, Frank."
"Say, he"s climbing up among the branches, I do believe!" called Bluff, who was again on the lookout, gun in hand.
The people in the tree were shouting at a great rate, the man trying to urge Frank to hurry and shoot, the woman and children shrieking in their terror, as they saw the treacherous, sleek beast constantly drawing nearer.
But Frank on his part did not really believe that the panther meant to attack the fugitives of the flood. With the instinct of his kind the beast, no doubt, understood that all he had to fear lay in the direction of these newcomers.
The wary panther had already observed Frank"s gun, and seemed to know that his best policy, just now, was to try and keep some object between himself and the lad.
For several minutes Frank used the paddle diligently, in the endeavor to gain such a position that he could get a good view of the panther. Twice he laid the paddle hastily down and s.n.a.t.c.hed up his gun; but there must have been something about his movement that warned the beast of his danger; for on both occasions the big cat quickly changed his position; and when Frank was ready to fire, he could not do so.
Then again the people got within his range as the floating tree took a sudden notion to turn slowly around. The current carried him faster than the unwieldly forest monarch, so that in order to keep within a certain distance of the trunk, Frank was presently forced to take to the paddle again.
This was discouraging; but he expected that, sooner or later, he would get the opportunity he craved, and be able to shoot the dangerous customer.
All at once he noticed that the tree was turning again. It was close to the houseboat now; indeed, a small gap of only a dozen feet or so seemed to separate the two floating objects; and Frank knew that there was danger of Bluff being tempted to use his shotgun, if he saw the opening.
A sudden yell from all the other chums told Frank that something had happened; and what it was he instantly guessed when he saw how the three boys scattered. Two of them, Bluff and Will, seemed to be making for the open cabin door; but Jerry was in some sort of trap, for the crouching form of the panther, lashing its sides with its long tail, as though fully aroused, stood between him and safety.
The animal seemed in the very act of leaping on Jerry, and seeing this, and that he could not get in a shot because of the many small branches that intervened, Frank shouted to his chum, warningly:
"Look out, Jerry, he"s going to jump! Over the side into the water with you! He won"t follow you there! Hurry! make a spring for it, Jerry!"
Apparently Jerry understood that this was his best plan. There was really no time for thinking, or choosing, with that furious beast ready to launch his long, slender body through the air.
Jerry made the plunge.
Frank knew there was nothing more to fear from that quarter. Jerry was a good swimmer, and could easily make the tree close by; in the branches of which he was quickly perched, dripping wet, but still full of pluck.
The situation had changed in a wonderful manner. Jerry was in the tree, and the panther apparently owned the houseboat; for Bluff, old Luther, and Will had retreated to the cabin, the door of which they had shut and barred behind them, and from the windows they were shouting to Frank, trying to tell him where the panther was just then.
Frank could hardly keep from laughing, in spite of the gravity of the situation, for it had a comical side as well as a serious one. He knew that it was now up to him to get that animal, one way or another; and as he did not exactly care to board the houseboat while the panther was hiding behind the cabin, some way must be discovered for enticing the invader to show himself.
All Frank wanted was just one glimpse of the gray coat of the enemy, and if at the time he had his gun ready, he knew he could get his work in.
But how might this be done?
Evidently the animal had been hunted before, for he seemed determined to keep some obstacle between himself and the rifle. And although Bluff had the reputation of being rather a daring sort of fellow, even he could not be expected to issue forth, and act as a sort of "toll" for Frank, luring the panther to show himself.
Some other plan must be adopted; and in this, no doubt the chums inside the cabin could a.s.sist. They were on the ground; while Jerry, lodged in the tree, and being without a single weapon, could not be expected to do anything but offer advice.
Back and forth Frank paddled, keeping a close watch on the cabin; but evidently the wary animal knew his location; for it kept out of sight.
Jerry shouted that it was in plain view from his side, once when Frank was around on the other quarter, and loudly bemoaned the fact that he had no gun.
The tree and houseboat were really in collision at this time, and floating down the current together. Frank was afraid to go around to the other side again, lest the beast take a sudden notion to once more plunge among the branches of the tree where the poor fugitives were hanging, watching this strange battle, with a boy"s wits matched against the cunning of the smartest beast that roams the American forest.
When this had gone on for some little time, Frank began to get provoked.
Surely there must be some way of getting the beast to show itself; and in this emergency Frank turned to his knowledge of woodcraft to help him out.
CHAPTER XXII-WHO WAS BOSS