IN THE AMERICAN DESERT 127 



In fact, had it not been for the presence of the peccaries, 

 he would never have waited so long. 



They had only one gun between them, and even 

 Frank's bow and arrows were not to be counted on, as he 

 had carelessly left them lying at the foot of the tree, and 

 the peccaries had long since made them into chips. 

 Eolfe therefore told the boy to change places, and get 

 behind him, so that the first brunt of the cougar's attack 

 might fall upon himself. This was done quietly, but with 

 some difficulty, for it is not very easy to pass another 

 person on the branch of a tree. 



When they were settled in their places, Kolfe fired at 

 the cougar's head, for the rest of the body was covered by 

 the thick moss. For a moment the smoke prevented his 

 seeing if the shot had taken effect, and he felt as if every 

 instant he might feel the. creature's claws in his throat. 

 While it was still too thick for him to make out anything, 

 he heard something falling heavily through the leaves ; 

 then a thud and a scream and a rush, and in a minute or 

 two the peccaries trotted away. 1 



1 These anecdotes are not to be taken as historically true. 



