essions, where trees and
heavy undergrowth combined to make an almost impassable stretch.

While there was really no trail for them to follow, it happened that the
easiest way to make progress took them along a direct line. On either
hand the impediments seemed to be such as to discourage any variation
from their course. Only with considerable effort could they have pushed
through the tangled vegetation, and for one, Jack did not seem disposed
to try it.

Then something happened.

"Oh! did you hear that, Jack?" gasped Steve.

Both of them had come to an abrupt halt, and were standing there,
straining their eyes to see what lay ahead of them.

"The first time it was a dog," muttered Jack, as if communing with
himself; "and now, unless I'm might mistaken, that meant cat!"

"Cat!" echoed Steve, incredulously. "Why, it was a whole lot louder
noise than any cat I ever ran across could make! a snarl that sent a
cold chill racing up and down my backbone. Cat? What sort of a cat would
you call it, Jack?"

"A wild cat, if anything," replied the other, neither of them stirring
as yet. "Look around you and tell me if anybody could imagine a better
place for such a beast to live in. And I think I've located it. We can
find out quickly enough by making a move as if to go on."

He suited the action to the words. Instantly there came the repetition
of that vicious snarl. It seemed to contain all the concentrated essence
of savage hatred, and sent another shiver over Steve.

"Now I can see the critter, Jack!" snapped Steve, extending his club to
point toward a certain tree standing directly in their path. "Crouching
right on that lower limb. Oh! how his yellow eyes glare at us! Excuse me
from wanting to come to close quarters with such a demon."

"For one thing, you've settled on the wrong gender, Steve," remarked
Jack in a fairly cool tone; "because if you look sharper you'll see two
other puffy balls close by the first one. Those are half-grown whelps,
and the mother stands ready to defend them to the last ounce of her
strength, and drop of blood. We've surprised Mrs. Cat at home."

"Yes, you're right there, Jack, those must be cubs, for I saw one move
just then. But with such a combination against us what are we going to
do? Surely you won't think of trying to scare the old cat away?"

"Twenty armed men couldn't do that, so long as her kits were in danger,"
Jack told him. "If we still mean to advance there's only one wa