progress, and creating a great confusion.

"What in tarnation is the matter?" exclaimed the farmer, rising to his
feet.

"I've found the wild-cat," answered Frank, in a scarcely audible
voice.

"What's that?" shouted Archie, springing to his feet, and upsetting
his chair and coffee-cup.

But Frank could not wait to answer. One bound carried him across the
floor and out of the door, and he started across the field at the top
of his speed, dropping a handful of buck-shot into each barrel of his
gun as he went. It was not until Frank had left the house that Archie,
so to speak, came to himself. He had been so astonished at his
cousin's actions and the announcement that he had "found the
wild-cat," that he seemed to be deprived of action. But Frank had not
made a dozen steps from the house before Archie made a dash for his
gun, and occasioned a greater uproar than Frank had done; and, not
stopping to hear the farmer's injunction to "be careful," he darted
out the door, which Frank in his hurry had left open, and started
toward the woods at a rate of speed that would have done credit to a
larger boy than himself. But Frank gained rapidly on him; and when he
reached the tree where the wild-cat had taken refuge, Archie was full
twenty rods behind. He found that the animals had not changed their
positions. The wild-cat was glaring fiercely down upon the dog as if
endeavoring to look him out of countenance; and Brave, seated on his
haunches, with his head turned on one side, and his tongue hanging out
of the side of his mouth, was steadily returning the gaze. Frank took
a favorable position at a little distance from the foot of the tree,
and cocking both barrels, so as to be ready for any emergency, in case
the first should not prove fatal, raised his gun to his shoulder, and
glancing along the clean, brown tube, covered one of the wild-cat's
eyes with the fatal sight, and pressed the trigger. There was a sharp
report, and the animal fell from his perch stone-dead. At this moment
Archie came up. After examining their prize to their satisfaction, the
boys commenced looking around through the bushes to find the clog
which had been detached from the trap. After some moments' search they
discovered it; and Archie unfastened the chain, and shouldering the ax
and guns, he started toward the house. Frank followed after, with the
wild-cat on his shoulder, the trap still hanging to his leg. The skin
was carefully taken off; and wh