Phil Bradleys Mountain Boys | Page 4

the fat chum
saying in rather a faint voice; all the while doubtless keeping his
strained eyes glued on that dreadful apparition.
"It's a mother wildcat, and she's got kits somewhere near by," Phil was
saying steadily. "That's what makes her so fierce in the daytime. Lub,
can you hear me plainly?"
He did not elevate his voice in the least, not wishing to do anything out
of the ordinary so as to excite the angry beast further, and cause it to

jump.
"Yes, sure I can; go on and tell me, Phil," whined the other, appealingly,
and remaining on his hands and knees as though absolutely incapable
of moving.
"Don't be alarmed," Phil went on to say. "I've got my revolver in my
hand, and if it comes to the worst I'll shoot. The other boys will yell
like everything, too, and that might make her sheer off. But first try and
back up, just as you are. Careful now, and do it as easy as you can,
Lub."
They saw the fat boy begin to cautiously extend one foot backwards.
When there came a warning snarl he instantly stiffened out as though
he had been turned into stone.
"Try it some more," Phil told him, "go carefully, but never mind the
growls. When she sees you're retreating she'll be satisfied, let's hope."
So Lub did as he was told, for his nature was rather docile. It could be
seen that he was holding himself in readiness to flatten out on his
stomach in case of hostile demonstrations on the part of the wildcat. No
doubt he expected that he could in this way manage to protect his face
from her claws; while the pack on his back would serve him in good
stead there.
Phil, however, had rightly gauged the intention of the mother beast. She
was only standing up for her whelps, and so long as they were not
placed in peril she did not mean to attack that crowd of two-legged
enemies.
The further Lub got away from the danger zone the more rapidly he
began to move his plump legs. Presently he felt Ethan lay hold of his
foot, at which he gave a gasping cry, under the impression that it must
be the mate of the enraged bobcat which had attacked him from the
rear.
"It's all right, Lub," Ethan hastened to say, reassuringly, for he had not

intended to frighten the other; "you're among friends now; and see there
how the old cat slinks away, still growling and looking daggers at us
with those yellow eyes of hers. Wow! she would have given us a warm
time of it, I'm telling you!"
"Did you get her photo, Phil?" demanded X-Ray; "because I heard the
click, after you'd swung your little camera around."
"Yes, when I saw that she didn't mean to tackle us," replied the other, "I
remembered that I ought to have something to show for Lub's
adventure. Guess you'll be glad to have a print of your friend, Lub; it'll
be a nice thing to look at on a hot summer day; because you'll always
have a chill chase up and down your spinal column, when you think
what would have happened if you'd come to close quarters with that
cat."
"And talk about the map of Ireland on your face," added Ethan; "more'n
likely you'd call it one of Europe, with every river plainly marked."
Lub was mopping his face with his red bandanna. All the color had fled,
leaving him as white as a ghost; but under the manipulation of his
handkerchief that was being speedily rectified.
"I think I'll drop back a bit, and let some of the rest of you fellows take
the lead from now on," Lub told them, contritely, "I ought to have
known better than to try and show off when I'm such a greeny about
following a trail."
"You were doing all right," Phil told him, "and making a good job of it
up to that time. Who'd ever expect that we'd run across a bobcat in the
middle of the afternoon; and one that had kits at that? I'd have had just
as bad a shock as you got, Lub, if it was me in the lead. No need of
feeling ashamed; the sight of that thing was enough to give any hunter
a bad scare, especially if he had no gun along."
This sort of consolation served to make poor Lub better satisfied;
though doubtless he would continue to feel unusually nervous for some
little time. If a chipmunk stirred in the trash under a dead tree Lub was

apt to draw a long breath, and involuntarily shrink back behind one of
his companions.
"Guess we'd better make a detour around that bunch of