The Last of the Plainsmen 



Old Baldy for the cougar than any other horse we 

 had. Leaving me in camp, he and Jones rode off to 

 fetch Kitty. 



About five o clock they came trotting up through 

 the forest with Jim, who had fallen in with them 

 on the way. Old Baldy had remained true to his 

 fame nothing, not even a cougar bothered him. 

 Kitty, evidently no worse for her experience, was 

 chained to a pine tree about fifty feet from the camp- 

 fire. 



Wallace came riding wearily in, and when he saw 

 the captive, he greeted us with an exultant yell. He 

 got there just in time to see the first special features 

 of Kitty s captivity. The hounds surrounded her, 

 and could not be called off. We had to beat them. 

 Whereupon the six jealous canines fell to fighting 

 among themselves, and fought so savagely as to be 

 deaf to our cries and insensible to blows. They had 

 to be torn apart and chained. 



About six o clock Lawson loped in with the horses. 

 Of course he did not know we had a cougar, and no 

 one seemed interested enough to inform him. Per 

 haps only Frank and I thought of it; but I saw a 

 merry snap in Frank s eyes, and kept silent. Kitty 

 had hidden behind the pine tree. Lawson, astride 

 Jim s pack horse, a crochety animal, reined in just 

 abreast of the tree, and leisurely threw his leg over 



306 



