The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-10-08

twice and then knew nothing. When he
opened his eyes he lay quiet, trying to figure
it all out, with head that throbbed with
pain from his fall. The cougar must have
been desperate for food to attack man.
He moved his foot and touched something
soft and heavy. His shots had been lucky,
but they had not saved him his horse and a
badly sprained arm and leg. There would
be no gauntlet found at the big bend at day.
light; he would consider himself fortunate
if he could get back to town.
When Johnny reached the twin boulders
marking the beginning of the sloping run
where the trail pitched down, he grinned
happily at the sight of the moon rising over
the low hills and then grabbed at his holster,
while every hair on his head stood up stimuli
taneously. A wild, haunting, feminine
scream arose to quavering soprano and
sobbed away into silence. No words can
adequately describe the unearthly wall in
that cry, and it took full half minute for
Johnny to become himself. Again it arose,
nearer and from a different point, and
Johnny peered into the black shadows along
sharp ridge of rock, his Colt balanced in
his half-raised hand.
"You come pokin' around me an you'll
get hurt" he remarked. "Come on out,
Soft-foot til moons yore finish. Well
have it out right here an now-I don't
want no cougar trailin' me through that
ink-black canon on a two-foot ledge"
he thought he saw shadow glide across a
dim patch of moonlight, but when his smoke
rifted he knew he had missed. "D-n it.!
You've got mate round here some
where's" he growled. "I'll have to chance
it, anyhow-come on, bronc! Yo're shakin'
like leaf-get out-of this!'
When he began to descend into the canon,
he allowed his horse to pick its own way
while he gave all of his attention to the
trail behind him, along which one or two
1.-THE cougars might be Sinking on velvet
paws. The horse scraped along gingerlv,
sending stones rafting and Gathering down
the precipice at his left, to splash into the
stream at the bottom.
81 wish Id not wasted so blamed much
time muttered the rider uneasily. "This
here cahon-cougar combination is tn
worst l ever struck. I'll never be late
again, not never. Easy, bronc,' he eau
toned as he felt the animal slip and CULVER.
He took his eyes off the back trail and
turned in the saddle to peer ahead-and a
yell of surprise and fear burst from him.
An unearthly screeching suddenly filled the
canon and a glowing, sheeted half-hgure
Of man foated and danced not twenty
feet from him. He jerked his gun loose
and fired, but only once, for his mount had
its own ideas about some things, and this
one headed the list The startled riders
blood almost CONCEALED with fear of the
precipice less than foot from his side, and
he gave all his attention to the horse. He
rounded the big bend as if he were coming
up to the judges stand and when he struck
the upslant of the emerging trail on the
other side of the canon he had made a
record. Cold sweat beaded his forehead
and he was trembling from head to foot
when he again rode into the moonlight
when he tried to break another record
Hopalong and Red quarreled petulantly
and damned the erring Johnny, while Dent
smiled at them and joked, but his efforts tc
cheer them made little impression and ht
desisted.
Il don't reckon we ought to get peevisf
he's only fourteen hours late" suggested
S SSH ~