stay here," faltered Ruth.

"What! Leave you alone with that beast? I will not!"

"But what can we do?"

Alice thought for a moment. The animal in the tree had apparently not
seen them--its attention was fixed on the two children. Then, as the
girls watched, they saw it move slightly, while its tail twitched faster.

"It's getting ready to spring!" whispered Alice.

"Oh, don't say that!" begged Ruth, clasping her hands.

They really did not know what to do. They were some distance from the
others of the moving picture company, and to go to them, and summon help,
might mean the death or injury of the children.

On the other hand, to call out suddenly, or to rush toward the little
ones, might precipitate the attack of the beast.

And then fate, or luck, stepped in and changed the situation of affairs.
Tommy spied another blossom--a brighter one than any he had yet gathered
and he cried out:

"Oh, look at that pretty flower! I'm going to get it!"

"No, let me!" exclaimed his sister, and the two got up with that
suddenness which seems so natural to children, and sped across a little
glade, out from under the tree, with its dangerous beast toward a clump
of ferns and flowers.

It was the best, and perhaps the only thing, they could have done.

"Oh--oh!" gasped Ruth. It was all she could say.

"Now they are safe," Alice ventured.

But not yet.

The beast had been about to spring and now, with a snarl of disappointed
rage, it bounded lightly from the limb of the tree to the ground, and
began a slinking advance upon the children.

"Oh!" screamed Ruth, and her cry of alarm was echoed by her sister. Both
girls instinctively started forward, but an instant later they were
halted by a voice.

"Stand where ye are, young ladies. I'll attend to that critter!"

Before they had a chance to look and see who it was that had called, a
shot rang out and the beast, which had been running along, crouched low
like a cat after a bird, seemed to crumple up. Then it turned a complete
somersault, and a moment later lay motionless.

Tommy and Nellie, hearing the report of the gun, paused in their rush
after the bright flowers, and then, as they saw the big animal not far
from them, they uttered cries of fear, and clung to each other.

"It's all right, dears! There's no danger now!" called Ruth, as she sped
toward them.

Alice paused but a moment to look at the individual who had in such
timely and effective fashion come t