ON THE MOUNTAIN SIDE
For fully ten seconds the lion did not move, and during that time
the young hunters stood spellbound. Then the foreign monarch of
the forest turned and like a flash disappeared into a hole on the
mountain side.
"Did---did---was it really a lion?" gasped Whopper when he could
speak.
"It certainly was---and a big one, too," answered the doctor's
son.
"But here?" began Snap. "We don't have lions in America."
"It must be the one that got away from the circus!" cried Shep.
"To be sure! Why didn't I think of that?" came from Whopper. "Sure
as you're a foot high that is the circus lion. But how did he get
away out here?"
"That's easy to explain," answered the doctor's son. "He left town
and took to the woods, and his quest for food brought him here."
"And it was the lion that scared the buck," said Snap.
"More than likely. And he scared us, too. Why didn't you shoot
at him?"
"Why didn't you?"
"I guess we were all about paralyzed; I know I was," declared Whopper.
"I didn't come out to hunt lions! Ugh! Maybe we had better get
away from here. You can't kill a lion with a shotgun---you need
a rifle, and a heavy one at that."
"Three heavy charges of buckshot would discourage any lion, I think,"
answered Shep. "At the same time, we don't want to run the risk of
being torn to pieces by such a beast."
"Boys, I've got an idea!" cried Snap suddenly. "Maybe it won't work
out, but we might try it."
"To kill the lion?"
"No, to capture him alive, and turn him over to the circus folks for
that reward."
"What is the idea?"
"Let us dig a big pit here among the rocks and bait it with the two
dead wildcats. We can drag the wildcats on the ground around here
and to the pit, and maybe the lion will follow the trail up and fall
into the pit."
"He'll be very obliging if he does that," said Whopper with a laugh.
"I guess lions are as cautious as any wild beasts."
"He'll follow the trail if he gets hungry enough," said the doctor's
son. "I think the idea is a good one, and I vote we follow it out
at once.
"But to dig a pit will be lots of work," said Whopper. "Can't we
find some ready-made hole that will do?"
Retreating still farther, and keeping their eyes and ears wide open
for the possible reappearance of the monarch of the forest, the
three young hunters at length found a hole that suited them. The
bottom was filled with loose stones and decayed leaves, but these
they soon cleaned out. Then, while Whopper went off for the dead
wildcats, Snap and Shep made the hole still deeper. They removed
the stones until they came to something of a small cave, and had
to take care, for fear of tumbling in.
"I think that will hold the lion, if he deigns to come this way,"
said the doctor's son.
Over the top of the opening they placed some light brushwood,
that would easily sink with the weight of any big beast, and in
the center placed one of the dead wildcats. The other they dragged
in a circle around the hole, and then let it fall to the bottom.
"That will give the beast something to eat, in case he is captured,"
said the doctor's son. "We don't want him to starve on our hands."
"I've got another idea," said Snap. "Why not fix one of the cameras
so it will go off and take a picture, in case the lion touches a
certain string? Mr. Jally told me how it could be done."
"A good idea!" cried Shep. "We'll do it right away. Only we don't
want any flashlight, for that would scare the lion away."
"No; we'll have to run the risk of having the camera worked in the
daylight."
It was dark by the time their task was accomplished. They knew that
they could not get back to camp, yet none of them had any desire to
remain in the vicinity of the lion.
"He might take it into his head to eat us up instead of the wildcats,"
said Whopper earnestly.
"Right you are," responded Shep. "We'll get as far away as we can."
They tramped for at least two miles, and during that time passed a
mountain brook that was strange to them. They tried to get some fish,
but were unsuccessful.
"We are skunked, and no mistake," said Snap dolefully. "Not even
one fish or a rabbit for supper!"
"I am going to beat around the trees for something," said the doctor's
son. "Shoot at anything that flies."
He walked ahead, and the others kept their guns in readiness. But all
he stirred up were a few small birds not worth laying low.
"Lucky we saved a little of the grub," said Whopper. "If we hadn't
we'd go to bed supperless."
"I am going to roost in a tree to-night, to keep out of the reach
of that lion," said Snap.
All agreed that this would be a good thing to do, and after dividing
what remained of the food brought along, and getting a drink at a
spring, they selected a tree that suited their purpose and mounted
to the thickest of the limbs.
"Not a very comfortable bed," was Shep's comment. "But better than
falling into that lion's clutches."
"Shall we go back to the pit in the morning?" asked Whopper.
"No; let us go to camp first, and see how Giant and Tommy are
making out," said the doctor's son. "Most likely they'll be worrying
about us."
To keep from falling, the three young hunters tied themselves fast
in the tree. They tried to sleep, but this was almost impossible,
and the most each got were fitful naps, with many dreams of the lion.
All thoughts of other game were, for the time being, banished from
their minds.
At daybreak they descended to the ground and started for camp
without waiting to shoot something for breakfast. They calculated
they could get back before noon, and then they would eat a big
dinner at their leisure.
All thought they had the "lay of the land" well fixed in their
minds, and so they did not advance with the caution they might
otherwise have taken. As a consequence, they presently made a
false turn, and this brought them to a part of the mountains that
was exceedingly rocky and rough.
"Say, we can't get through here," declared Whopper at last. "Why,
it's worse than the Rocky Road to Dublin!"
"I believe we are off the right trail," returned Snap. "It seems
to me our camp must be in that direction," and he pointed to their
left.
"Perhaps you are right," said the doctor's son. "Anyway, we can't
get through here. We'll ruin our shoes and run the risk of breaking
our necks."
"Let us walk to the left," said Snap, and they turned back a short
distance. As they did this, they started up a number of rabbits
and, eager for some game, each blazed away, and as a consequence two
of the creatures were brought low.
"Not much, but something," said the doctor's son.
They pressed on, soon coming to some rocks that were quite smooth.
"Be careful here," cautioned Snap. "A tumble would be a nasty thing.
There is a cliff just below us."
He and the doctor's son went ahead and Whopper followed. The rocks
were even more slippery than they had anticipated. The doctor's
son was about to advise going back and walking around the cliff,
when Whopper called out:
"A deer! I see a deer!"
"Where?" asked the others in a breath.
"Over yonder! I am going to give him a shot!"
In great excitement Whopper stood upright on the smooth rocks, raised
his shotgun and pulled the trigger. But the deer was not hit, and
a moment later disappeared from view.
The report of the shotgun was followed by a yell from Whopper. The
weapon, had kicked back and sent him sprawling. Now he was rolling
over and over on the smooth rocks, directly toward the dangerous
cliff below him.