Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1900-07-14

down the creek toward the camp. !
went Oh, following the route he had
taken.
Presently, in place where the
ground was soft, came upon Mngru-
der's tracks and something more.
line Of tracks followed Magruder's;
they rescmblcd the tracks of Il noun
tnin-liOn, and the breadth and depth
of the imprints showed the creature
to be of uncommon size. Step by step
it had crrpt along, cat-fashiOn, until
1t had crossed marshy place in two
or three enormous bounds, when it
| had resumed its steulthy gait.
l had got to hard ground, where the
tracks were faint, when l caught
| sight of n man in Mexican costume
crossing the valley short distance
| ahead of me-. 1t was Jose BonifaciO,
Mexican Indian who had served rs
scout and trailer in Indian campaigns
with me, and he recognized me. mo
toned for him to come to me. ana
showed him the tracks in the soft
ground. He examined them carefully.
This man was not to be easily fright
ened. but there was something like
| fear in his face as he spoke in his brok-
en- English.
'lou go way he said. $50 way
from Tonic. No leon make them
tracks. You know what?' His voice
lowered. and he put his hand on my
arm. looking around as If fearful of
being overheard. 81 know that fellow
heap in Sonora. He very bad. FL
diablo, We call him. He follow that
man all day never touch him. When
dark come, he kill him. That man
your partner? You hurry long find
him. Then you two stay together. 10
way his voice sinking into wills
per. $50 way. quick"
what do you mean, Bonifacio" l
his manner. do you mean to tell me
that these are not mountain-liOn'
tracks,
The halfbreed had the savage's
common superstition against pronoun-
cling the name of n creature that is
greatly feared lest it overhear and
avenge the familiarity.
''IIe no lcOn," he said. T.cOn kill
deer, calf sheep but the man he run
from. This fellow" here his voice fell
again to n whisper she kill man. You
hurry long. find Bill" Then warming
ly again, $50 way from Tonic! Go
quick"'
He started OH his way over the hills.
Come down to the cabin and spend
the night" said; but the half-breed
shook his head.
The shadows of night were falling
ms l hurried down the valley. After
what BOnifacO had said. l was nntur-
ally anxious about Magruder, although
| knew he had plenty of time to
to the camp before dark. Moreover
my partner was well-armpd and little
likely to be caught off his guard by an
enemy, man or beast.
l came into the open space before
the camp in the last light from the
western sky. Before me the syca-
more. with half its leaves still upon it,
lowered above the shadow beneath its
wide spreading branches. The cabin
door was open, SO Magruder had re-
turned. But where was he? All! What
is that under the sycamore, lying out
stretched and still in the deepest
shadow? Certainly the form of man,
and he lay as lie the dead.
cooked my rifle and looked around
me. Nothing threatened from the
ground. l gaZed into the tree. but
could detect there nothing unusual or
the outstretched form until l cam" to
the edge of the shadow beneath the
sycamore.
There l paused Mt slight sound
that came from among the branches
n soft, brushing tlip-fip. flip-fip. 1t
came from great forked branch that
overhung the path. Now that my
attention was drawn to this limb, l
thought it looked unusual ntslr the
fork. There it seemed to be much
thicker than elsewhere in its length;
but looking closely. | could see moth
ing tllat lndlcuteu danger.
1T is nothing" said to myself and
made another step forward.
Then | saw 1t! The fOrmless thick.
ness of the bOugh all ut once shaped
itself to my eyes in its true appearance
the bOugh and the thing upon it.
saw two phOsphOrescent spots. not
easily to be discerned among the vel
low leaves. l saw these were living
eyes In n huge. catlike head resting
upon the forks of the branch. Behind,
tlattcned upon the bOugh, so that 1t
seemed n part of 1t. was n long body
whose notified cOlOrs merged in those
of the spotted bark and the leaves
and their shadows. The soft tlip-hip-
ping noise was the curling in and out
of the tip of Il supple tail among the
leaves. The beast that had killed my
partner was waiting for me.
There was not moment to lose. AS
l threw my rifie-breech to my shoulder
| saw the great head lift. the ears draw
sharply back, the phOsphOrescent eyes
redden to burning flame. Twice l
fired. first at the shoulder, then. without
aiming. mt the living thunderbOlt that
came through the air upon me. crush
ing me to the earth. A frightful grOwl
filed my ears as something bit and
tore me-the rest was darkness.
l came to my senses lying on my |
back on the ground in the GOODNESS Of
the autumn night. Through the leafy
branches overhead the moon aud stars
were shining. My rifle was clutched In
my hand as I lifted my head and
looked around. not realizing at first
where l was or what had happened.
1t all came back to me us gaz;d
upon the form of n savage beauty. the
splendid markings in black and yellow
Of the jaguar that lay near me- Just