140 ON THE EDGE OF THE WILDERNESS 
“ By gum, it’s Lucy!” he exclaimed. ‘“ Well, 
she lived up to her reputation to the end.” 
The battered dogs were sniffing up the trail 
again now, and barking at the crevice where the 
kittens had crept in. The men pulled them off, 
some way to one side, and waited. Presently the 
kittens came creeping out. They were pretty 
little things, and meowed plaintively for their 
mother. 
“ There’s fifteen dollars more,” said the hunter 
to young Parmalee. ‘ You take the light one, 
I'll take the dark. We'll let the dogs run the 
third.” | 
They fired, and two kittens fell. The third, 
with a frightened meow, scampered up the rocks 
and made for a tree. 
“ Go to it,” said the hunter to his dogs. 
“Hold on!” exclaimed Parmalee. “Call ’em 
back.” 
The man called, getting them to return with 
difficulty. “What’s the big idea? ” he demanded. 
** Five bucks is five bucks, ain’t it?” 
“T’m satisfied, that’s all,” Parmalee retorted. 
“The old cat chased father and me the other 
