CHAPTER XXIV. THE "LITTLE LIGHTNING."
"What is it?" whispered Step Hen, suddenly turning cold withapprehension.
No doubt the first thought that flashed through his mind was that thosetwo unscrupulous timber cruisers must in some remarkable manner havelearned of their coming again, as on the previous occasion.
Perhaps Step Hen had just been thinking along these lines, and wasprepared to hear a gruff voice call out to them that it was no use, andthat they had better surrender.
"The way is blocked!" said Allan, also in a low, guarded voice, as theothers crowded in toward him.
"In what way, Allan?" asked Thad, anxiously, his voice hardly louder thanthe soft murmuring night wind that gently shivered the leaves overhead.
"Look straight ahead," replied the other. "It's good I happened toglimpse the fellow before we bumped into him."
"Goodness gracious!" ejaculated Step Hen.
He had of course done as Allan suggested, and to his surprise discoveredtwo glow worms, or fire flies, or something similar, only they did notseem to come and go, but just burned steadily.
"What are they?" asked Giraffe, excitedly.
"Eyes," replied Allan.
"A wolf?" whispered Step Hen, apprehensively.
"More likely a panther," Thad answered back.
They were all half crouching there, with nervous hands clutching theirguns.
"That's what it is," said Allan, with decision in his voice and manner."A wolf would be too much of a coward to stay so long. And listenclosely, boys."
"Wow! I can hear the old cat growling to himself," said Giraffe.
Thad felt his comrade make a hasty little move. Then his quick ear caughtthe click of a gun lock.
"Here, none of that, Giraffe," he whispered, sternly.
"But he might jump on us!" expostulated the tall scout.
"How about that, Allan?" asked the patrol leader, who did not like theidea of such a happening any more than Giraffe.
"I don't think he will, if we keep back," replied Allan, coolly; "thatis, if I know anything about the nature of the beasts; and I ought to. Heobjects to our being in his game preserves, that's all, and is trying toserve notice on us the best he knows how, that he's cleared the decks foraction, and means to fight, unless we turn around and quit."
"The nerve of the thing!" muttered Giraffe, weakly.
"How about going around, and letting the old thing alone?" suggested StepHen.
"Oh! you'd find him on to that game," Allan went on to say. "Chances arehe'd just keep pace with us; and when we started to advance again, we'dsee his yellow eyes, and hear his warning growl."
"Shucks! and do we have to take water from a painter?" demanded Giraffe,giving the dangerous animal the name by which it is generally known amongall backwoodsmen and forest rangers.
"I say let's knock him over. Every one draw a bead on those yellow eyes,and Thad give the word to fire. We'll pepper him so well he never canknow what hit him."
It was Step Hen who made this war-like proposal; but Thad cautioned hiscomrades against any such rash action.
"Of course," he said, "we'd be pretty sure to kill the beast. He couldn'tstand for such a volley at short range. But you understand, such a fierceracket would tell everybody inside of five miles that we were around."
"Sure!" exclaimed Step Hen, quite crushed. "I forgot those thieves oftimber men."
"But what can we do, then, Thad;" pleaded Giraffe, at his wits' ends tograpple with the perplexing problem.
As usual it was Thad who saw a way out.
"We've just got to scare him off," he said, in a resolute tone.
"But how can we, when we dassn't shout even, for fear of telling thefellers around that camp-fire all about us?" Step Hen asked.
"There may be a way," Thad said, quietly, just as though he might berunning things over in that clever mind of his, and trying to decidewhether it would pay to try the plan he had in view.
"Tell us?" urged Giraffe.
"Then listen, and if any of you think it's too risky, just say so, andwe'll try something else."
When Thad said this, the others imagined he was about to propose anadvance on the enemy from all sides. Confused by having four enemiesapproaching from as many quarters, perhaps the panther might thinkdiscretion the better part of valor, and turn tail and run.
So Giraffe and Step Hen drew in long breaths, and shut their teethtogether in a firm, determined way; doubtless resolving to do their duty,as scouts always should, no matter what the risk.
But they were very much surprised when Thad's explanation turned out tobe something of an entirely different nature.
"Just by chance," he went on to say, while all of them kept watchingthose glowing balls of yellow fire so close by, "I've got with me one ofthose new patent little flashlights Davy has been using to take pictureswith at night time. All you have to do is to hold it out, and pull thething off. If that suddenly dazzled the eyes of the panther, I've got agood notion he'd move along. How about it, Allan?"
"I guess you're right, Thad," chuckled the Maine boy. "All the cat tribeseem to be dreadfully afraid of fire. Yes, that would sure fetch him."
Neither Giraffe nor Step Hen gave utterance to a single word, one way orthe other. They were, as the former would have expressed it, "justtickled to death" by this bright suggestion on the part of the scoutleader. And doubtless neither scout ever would believe, deep down in hisadmiring heart, that Thad simply "chanced" to have the explosivecartridge in his possession. Rather were they positive that he must haveforeseen this very difficulty, and prepared for it.
"The only trouble is this," Thad continued, even while he handed his gunover to Step Hen, and seemed to be fumbling with both hands, as thoughgetting the little new-fangled flashlight cartridge in readiness foraction; "do you think the sudden illumination will be seen at the campyonder; and if so what do you expect Hank and Pierre will believe?"
"Oh! it will be seen, all right," remarked Giraffe.
"Sure thing," put in Step Hen, as though he felt it his duty to give hisopinion with the rest, just to show that he grasped the situation;"because those things make a fierce flare-up."
"But you ought to use it, all the same, Thad," remarked Allan. "If themen notice it at all, the chances are ten to one they'll think it wasonly some little lightning. Since that storm anything goes, you know."
"Little lightning it is, then," returned the scoutmaster.
"The rest of us had better hold ourselves ready to shoot, if the beastjumps this way instead of the other," Allan suggested.
"You bet we will," said Giraffe.
"Every time," whispered Step Hen, gently lowering Thad's gun to theground, so he could handle his own better.
Now, Thad knew how both of them were apt to be impulsive, and he thoughtit best to warn them against precipitate action.
"Careful, boys. The chances are, you won't have to shoot. Use goodjudgment, and don't spoil things. Keep your eyes on that spot. Are youready?"
"Yes," said Allan.
"Go ahead, Thad!" whispered Giraffe.
"Go on!" muttered Step Hen, partly holding his breath with suspense.
"All right. Here she goes!"
Hardly had Thad spoken these words than there was a dazzling flash. Hehad been wise enough to hold the little cartridge pistol out at rightangles, so that the fierce white glare might not blind them, as he hopedit would do in connection with the panther.
All of the boys were eagerly on the watch; and knowing just where to lookthey instantly sighted the panther. The abrupt and terrific burst ofintense light had produced an effect upon the startled beast, just asThad and Allan had so confidently predicted.
The boys saw a long, lithe, gray body leap wildly into the air. This wasthe beast that had just been disputing their right to advance furtherinto his domain.
Evidently the cautious nature of the panther, together with hiswell-known fear of fire, had combin
ed to give him a shock; for when hemade that spasmodic leap into the air, it was _away_ from the "littlelightning," and not toward it.
For a second or two only did that brilliant illumination continue. Thendarkness once more swallowed up the surroundings; and doubtless it wasall the more dense to the eyes of the four boys because of that recentdazzling flash.
They could hear a patter of feline feet among the dead leaves; but thesounds were retreating. There also came a low whimper. Allan told themlater that a panther always gives utterance to such a complaining soundwhen he has been whipped in a fight, and made to slink off; or elsefrightened in any way.
"He's gone!" said Allan, reassuringly.
"And the chances are, he won't dare to block our path again in a hurry,"Thad declared.
"Say, that old painter must a got a shock, though," Giraffe went on. "Itwas enough to scare anything that walks on four legs, or even two. Factis, if I hadn't been looking for it, the giddy old thing would a given mea start."
"Same here," admitted Step Hen.
"Now that the way's clear, let's go on, boys," remarked Thad, as he tookhis gun again from Step Hen; "and we'll hope all our troubles can bechased away as easy as that."