The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1910-03-10
CHAPTER viIl.-continued.

n X.
Leslie faced an unpleasant situation.
CHAPTER VllI.-Continued.
They'll be dry in day or two.
Gay Winthrope, you might fetch some
of those stones-size of ball | used
90 be n fancy pitcher when | was a
kid, and we might scare up rabbit or
something"
II play cricket myself. But these
stones"
'Better'n a gun, when you haven't
got the gun. Come on. Well go in a
bunch, after ALL in case need stones"
With due consideration for Win
Ahrope's ankle-not for Winthrope-
Blake set so slow a pace that the half
miles walk consumed over half an
hour. But his smouldering irritation
was soon quenched when they drew
near the green thicket at the foot of
the cleft. In the almost deathlike
stiffness of mid-afternoon, the sound
of trickling water came to their ears,
clear and musical
"a spring." shouted Blake. 81
guessed right Look at those green
plants and grass; there's the channel
where 1t runs out in the sand and
dries up
The others followed him eagerly as
ne pushed in among the trees. They
saw no running water, for the tiny
rill that trickled down the lodges was
matted over with vines But at the
loot of the slope lay pool, some ten
Yards across, and overshadowed by the
surrounding trees. There was no
underbrush and the ground was
trampled bare as floor.
by Jove," said Winthrope; see the
of sheep about"
Deer, you mean" replied Blake,
bending to examine the deeper prints
at the edge of the pool. "These amt
sheep tracks. A lot of them are
larger"
Gould you not uncover the brooke"
asked Miss Leslie. "If animals have
been drinking here, one would prefer
cleaner water"
Sure" assented Blake. IF you're
game for a climb and can wait few
minutes. Wen get it out of the spring
Itself We've got to go up anyway, to
get at our poultry yard
Here's a place that looks like a
path" called Winthrope, who had cir
cled about the edge of the pool to the
farther side.
Blake ran around beside him and
stared at the tunnellike passage which
wound up the limestone lodges be-
meath the overarching thickets.
odd place, is it not?' observed
Winthrope. Looks like a fox run,
only larger, you know"
"'ruo low for deer, though-and
their hoofs would have cut up the
moss and ferns more, Let's get a
close look"
AS he spoke, Blake stopped and
climbed few yards up the trail to an
overhangng ledge, four or five feet
high. Where the trail ran up over
this break in the slope the stone was
bare of all vegetation. Blake laid his
CLUB on the top of the ledge. and was
about TO vault after it, when, directly
beneath his nose, he saw the print of
a great catlike paw. outlined in dried
mud At the same instant a deep
growl came rumbling down the fox
run" Without waiting for a second
warming, Blake drew his club to him,
and crept back down the trail His
slealthy movements and furtive back
ward glances filed his companions
with vague terror He himself was
hardly less alarmed
Get out of the trees--iuto the OPEN"
ne exclaimed in a hoarse whisper, and
as they crept away, white with dread
Of the unknown danger he followed at
heir heels, looking backward, his club
-ahed in readiness to strike
Once clear of the trees, WINTHROP
caught Miss Leslie by the hand and
broke into "A run. In their terror they
paid no heed to Blake's command TO
stop. They had darted off so uneX-
.0ecledly that he did not oycrtake them
snort of 100 yards.
Hold on" he said, gripping Win
thrope roughly by the shoulder, ITS
safe enough here and youll knock out
that blamed ankle"
What is It? What did you see?"
Basped Miss Leslie.
Footprint" mumbled Blake ashamed
NJ mis- fright.
"A lion's?" cried Winthrope.
mot so large-'bout the size OF a
pumas. Must be a leopards den up