ls, if they're needed," muttered Hamp.

They were now at the wall of the ravine, and a moment later they turned
into the passage that led to the storehouse. The rocks were in sight,
but no catamount. Evidently the creature was inside. A loud scratching
and whining mingled with Brick's hoarse cries.

The boys crept nearer and nearer. They were trembling a little now, but
they went pluckily on.

Suddenly a dull crash was heard, and Brick's voice rose instantly to a
shrill pitch. The boys shouted in return, and Jerry quickly lighted his
torch.

The racket brought the catamount out from the storehouse like a streak.
The ugly beast glared at the boys and the torch. He was hungry for the
former, but afraid of the latter. He realized that he was outmatched,
and, turning his tail, he bounced into the passage that led to the lake,
wailing like a spoiled child.

It all happened so quickly that Jerry lost the opportunity he wanted. He
dashed to the angle, and pitched the torch far ahead. It flared up
brightly, showing the beast in a crouching attitude on the edge of the
gloom. Jerry took a quick aim, and fired.

The report rang out with stunning violence. Its echoes were followed by
a dismal wail and a shower of snow clods from the roof of the tunnel,
some of which extinguished the torch. When the smoke lifted, the
catamount had disappeared, though it was doubtless not far away.

With a glad cry of welcome, Brick crawled out from the storehouse, coat
in hand. His sleeveless arm was stained with blood, and the wound proved
to consist of several severe scratches.

"You just came in time, fellows," he said. "The beast had knocked my
barricade down, and in a few seconds more he would have had me. Do you
think you hit him?"

"I don't believe it," growled Jerry. "Seems to me I can't shoot worth a
cent any more. Still, I didn't have a fair shot. But we had better be
getting back to the cabin instead of fooling away time here."

"You bet we had," assented Hamp. "It's the only safe place. That
catamount will be after us again, or he ain't the kind of an Indian
devil I take him for."

Brick was nervously anxious to start, and at once took the lead of his
companions. They hurried around angle after angle, and when they were
half-way through the final passage, they heard the creature's pattering
strides behind them.

Brick and Hamp bolted into the cabin. Jerry paused on the threshold, and
wheeled around. He was frightened to se