" said Phil.

Garry rescued his flashlight from the spot where he had dropped it when
he made ready to shoot, and the three started cautiously for the still
carcass. Arriving at the point, Dick seized a dead stick from the ground
and, throwing accurately, hit the animal in the ribs. It made never a
move, and so the chums judged it was safe to approach.

The animal was stone dead. Garry's shot had pierced the brain right in
the forehead, and the animal had evidently died almost instantly.

They examined the animal. It was a sort of a pepper-and-salt color with
a pencil or streak of black hair extending from the back of the ears. As
far as they could judge, it would stand about two feet tall, when erect,
and must have been almost a yard from the top of its nose to the end of
its abbreviated tail. The legs and feet were heavily covered with fur,
and bore wicked, razorlike claws.

A snarl was on the face of the night prowler even in death. Garry seized
it by the scruff of the neck, and hefted it.

"By George, I bet that animal weighs every ounce of thirty pounds," he
exclaimed.

"Then it's the heftiest bobcat I've ever heard about," said Phil.

"Well, let's get back to bed again," yawned Dick. "I was sleeping like
a log when I thought the whole shack had been pulled in about my ears.
Good thing I woke up though. I forgot to put beans to soak last night,
and I am determined to have baked beans for tomorrow night's supper.
Guess I'll put them to soak and turn in again. Bring your old bobcat
along and hang it to a branch, and we'll skin it tomorrow and try and
tan it."

"Skin nothing," declared Garry. "I'm going to have that critter stuffed
and mounted. It's one of the finest specimens I've ever seen."

"You fellows can argue all night if you want to," stated Phil
emphatically. "I'm going to crawl into my blanket again. Good night!"

The boys returned to the camp, and still rubbing the sleep from his
eyes, Dick put his beans to soak, and in a few minutes quiet had again
descended on the camp, only the occasional snap of a burning knot
breaking the majestic silence of the great forest that surrounded the
sleeping boys.

When morning came, Garry was the first to awake. Glancing mischievously
at his sleeping companions, he softly stole to where he had hung the
body of the bobcat the night before, and hid it in the lean-to in back
of the pile of cut firewood. Phil awoke a moment after, and coming out,
looked for the a