end with him, although Obed was away.
Obed had spoken truly. It was a fine horse, a bay, tall, strong and
young, grazing with dignified content, at the end of a lariat about
forty feet in length.

Ned watched the horse idly, and soon he saw him raise his head, stand
perfectly still for a moment or two, and then sniff the wind. The next
instant an extraordinary manifestation came from him. He whirled about
and galloped so fast to the end of his tether that he was thrown down by
the sharp jerk. He regained his feet and stood there, trembling all
over. His great eyes were distended. Ned had never before seen such a
picture of terror.

The boy raised himself a little in the grass, but not so high that he
would be seen by an enemy. It was his first idea that Mexicans had come,
but the horse would not show such fright at the presence of human
beings. He looked in the direction opposite to the spot on which the
horse was standing. At first he saw nothing, but with intent looking he
detected a great body crouched in the grass and stealing forward slowly.
It was their old enemy, the jaguar, not a black one but tawny in color.

Ned's rage rose. First a jaguar had attacked him, and now another was
stalking their horse. He felt pity for the poor animal which was tied,
and which could not escape. Now man who had tied him must save him. Ned
knew that if he cut the lariat the horse in its terror might run away
and never be retaken. A shot might be heard by the Mexicans, but he
believed that the probabilities were against it, and he decided to use
the rifle.

He raised himself just a little more, careful to make no noise, and
watched the jaguar stealing through the tall grass, so intent on the
horse that it failed to notice the most dangerous of all enemies who lay
near. But Ned waited until the flank of the animal was well presented,
and, taking a sure aim, fired.

The jaguar shot up into the air, as if an electric spring had been
released, then came down with a thump and was dead. The horse neighed in
terror at sight of his leaping foe and trembled more violently than
ever. Ned went to him first, and tried to soothe him which was a long
and difficult task. At last, he untethered the horse and led him to the
far end of the valley, where he tethered him again at least two hundred
yards from the dead body of the jaguar. Returning he looked at the
fallen animal, and marked with pleasure the correctness of his aim. He
had shot the j