The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1900-08-01
The ate of Magruder.
BY CLARENCE PULLEN

ITS different note from n lions
cry" said Magurdcr. "rhe beast
that's making that sound Is the one
that killed our dog and mule.
Something has just come into my
mind that the Apache scouts told me
once" he continued. Its about ja-
guars. They said that these animals
sometimes wander up into Arizona
from Sonora. and when they do, they
always come to the Tonic Basin. The
forests and climate here suit them. l
suppose. The Indians are supersti-
tious about these beasts. They say
they are always man-caters."
"All right; jaguar or lion, I'd like n
fair shot at him, IL remarked, and set
tied myself again to my slumbers. But
before / went quite to sleep heard
my partner moving restlessly in his
blankets and muttering.
He was in good spirits the next morn
Ing when we started out to make the
round of our traps. 1t was one of
those exquisite autumn days which, in
the higher levels of Arizona, open with
frost and are sunny and warm at noon.
We separated at the forks of the creek,
Magurder taking the south and / the
north branch.
l had the longer route. and / found
two minks and an otter to skin; so
when ! got back to the forks, near the
end of the day, Magurder had bent
some twigs In the direction of the
camp to show me that he had gone on
down the creek toward the camp.
went on, following the route he had
taken.
Presently. in place where the
ground was soft, came upon Magru-
der's tracks and something more. A
line of tracks followed Magruder's;
they resembled the tracks of noun
tain-lbn. and the breadth and depth
Of the imprints showed the creature
to be Of uncommon size. Step by step
it had crept along. cat-fashlon, until
1t had crossed a marshy place in two
or three enormous bounds, when it
had resumed its stealthy gait
had got TO hard ground, where the
tracks were faint when caught
sight OF man In Mexican costume
crossing the valley short distance
ahead OF me. II was Jose Bonifacio,
Mexican Indian who had served as
scout and trailer in Indian campaigns
with me, and he recognized me. mo-
toned for him to come to me. and
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.
'You 60 way" he said. "Go way
from Tonto. 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. II 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. Go
way" his voice sinking into a whs-
per. $50 way. quick-'
"What do you mean, Bonifacio?' I
asked, impressed by the seriousness of
his manner. "Do you mean to tell me
that these are not n mountain-lion's
tracksW
The half-breed had the savage's
common superstition against pronoun-
cling the name of creature that is
greatly feared, lest it overhear and
avenge the familiarity.
"He no leon," he said. Leon kill
deer, calf. sheep-but the man he run
from. This fellow" here his voice fell
again to n whisper. "he kill man. You
hurry long. find Bill" Then warming
ly again, "Go way from Tonto, Go
| quick"
He started on 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
as / hurried down the valley. After
what Bonifacio had said. was natur-
ally anxious about Magruder, although
| knew he had plenty of time TO get
to the camp before dark. Moreover,
my partner was well-armed 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 uponit,
lowered above the shadow beneath its
wide-spreading branches. The cabin
door was open, so Magruder had re-
turned. But where was he7 All! What
is that under the sycamore, lying out
stretched and still in the deepest
shadow Certainly the form of man,
and be lay ~ lie the dead. -