In Cowboy Land 295 



ward it the horrified trapper found that the 

 body was still warm, but that the neck was 

 broken, while there were four great fang 

 marks in the throat. 



The footprints of the unknown beast-crea- 

 ture, printed deep in the soft soil, told the 

 whole story. 



The unfortunate man, having finished his 

 packing, had sat down on the spruce log with 

 his face to the fire, and his back to the dense 

 woods, to wait for his companion. While 

 thus waiting, his monstrous assailant, which 

 must have been lurking nearby in the woods, 

 waiting for a chance to catch one of the ad- 

 venturers unprepared, came silently up from 

 behind, walking with long, noiseless steps, and 

 seemingly still on two legs. Evidently un- 

 heard, it reached the man, and broke- his neck 

 by wrenching his head back with its forepaws, 

 while it buried its teeth in his throat. It had 

 not eaten the body, but apparently had romped 

 and gamboled round it in uncouth, ferocious 

 glee, occasionally rolling over and over it; 

 and had then fled back into the soundless 

 depths of the woods. 



Bauman, utterly unnerved, and believing 

 that the creature with which he had to deal 

 was something either half human or half 



