The Speckled Heifer's Calf 237 



back and I joined him and the hound at the 

 entrance of the den. 



" How in the world did you kill it, Ben? " 

 I asked. " You didn't have any gun." 



" I didn't need any," he replied. " It was 

 so stupefied that it wouldn't have known its 

 own grandmother. The brimstone did the 

 business. I simply knocked her on the head 

 when she came out." 



It was a fine specimen of the bobcat, or bay 

 lynx, as it should really be called. Its coat 

 was long and silky, of a grayish tone, striped 

 and flecked with light brown. There were 

 several brown streaks along the back and 

 some tawny patches upon the sides. The 

 tail had several dark rings and was tipped 

 with black. The animal's long, sharp, white 

 claws sent a shiver down my back as I felt 

 them. 



When we had carried the cat home, Ben 

 brought out the spring scales and, tying a 

 cord about the bobcat's hind legs, he hooked 

 in the scales and swung the splendid speci- 

 men clear of the ground. My eyes opened 



