CHAPTER XXIV.

THE "LITTLE LIGHTNING."

"What is it?" whispered Step Hen, suddenly turning cold with apprehension.

No doubt the first thought that flashed through his mind was that those two unscrupulous timber cruisers must in some remarkable manner have learned of their coming again, as on the previous occasion.

Perhaps Step Hen had just been thinking along these lines, and was prepared to hear a gruff voice call out to them that it was no use, and that they had better surrender.

"The way is blocked!" said Allan, also in a low, guarded voice, as the others crowded in toward him.

"In what way, Allan?" asked Thad, anxiously, his voice hardly louder than the soft murmuring night wind that gently shivered the leaves overhead.

"Look straight ahead," replied the other. "It's good I happened to glimpse the fellow before we bumped into him."

"Goodness gracious!" ejaculated Step Hen.

He had of course done as Allan suggested, and to his surprise discovered two glow worms, or fire flies, or something similar, only they did not seem to come and go, but just burned steadily.

"What are they?" asked Giraffe, excitedly.

"Eyes," replied Allan.

"A wolf?" whispered Step Hen, apprehensively.

"More likely a panther," Thad answered back.

They were all half crouching there, with nervous hands clutching their guns.

"That's what it is," said Allan, with decision in his voice and manner. "A wolf would be too much of a coward to stay so long. And listen closely, boys."

"Wow! I can hear the old cat growling to himself," said Giraffe.

Thad felt his comrade make a hasty little move. Then his quick ear caught the click of a gun lock.

"Here, none of that, Giraffe," he whispered, sternly.

"But he might jump on us!" expostulated the tall scout.

"How about that, Allan?" asked the patrol leader, who did not like the idea of such a happening any more than Giraffe.

"I don't think he will, if we keep back," replied Allan, coolly; "that is, if I know anything about the nature of the beasts; and I ought to. He objects to our being in his game preserves, that's all, and is trying to serve notice on us the best he knows how, that he's cleared the decks for action, and means to fight, unless we turn around and quit."

"The nerve of the thing!" muttered Giraffe, weakly.

"How about going around, and letting the old thing alone?" suggested Step Hen.

"Oh! you'd find him on to that game," Allan went on to say. "Chances are he'd just keep pace with us; and when we started to advance again, we'd see his yellow eyes, and hear his warning growl."

"Shucks! and do we have to take water from a painter?" demanded Giraffe, giving the dangerous animal the name by which it is generally known among all backwoodsmen and forest rangers.

"I say let's knock him over. Every one draw a bead on those yellow eyes, and Thad give the word to fire. We'll pepper him so well he never can know what hit him."

It was Step Hen who made this war-like proposal; but Thad cautioned his comrades against any such rash action.

"Of course," he said, "we'd be pretty sure to kill the beast. He couldn't stand for such a volley at short range. But you understand, such a fierce racket would tell everybody inside of five miles that we were around."

"Sure!" exclaimed Step Hen, quite crushed. "I forgot those thieves of timber men."

"But what can we do, then, Thad;" pleaded Giraffe, at his wits' ends to grapple with the perplexing problem.

As usual it was Thad who saw a way out.

"We've just got to scare him off," he said, in a resolute tone.

"But how can we, when we dassn't shout even, for fear of telling the fellers around that camp-fire all about us?" Step Hen asked.

"There may be a way," Thad said, quietly, just as though he might be running things over in that clever mind of his, and trying to decide whether it would pay to try the plan he had in view.

"Tell us?" urged Giraffe.

"Then listen, and if any of you think it's too risky, just say so, and we'll try something else."

When Thad said this, the others imagined he was about to propose an advance on the enemy from all sides. Confused by having four enemies approaching from as many quarters, perhaps the panther might think discretion the better part of valor, and turn tail and run.

So Giraffe and Step Hen drew in long breaths, and shut their teeth together in a firm, determined way; doubtless resolving to do their duty, as scouts always should, no matter what the risk.

But they were very much surprised when Thad's explanation turned out to be something of an entirely different nature.

"Just by chance," he went on to say, while all of them kept watching those glowing balls of yellow fire so close by, "I've got with me one of those new patent little flashlights Davy has been using to take pictures with at night time. All you have to do is to hold it out, and pull the thing off. If that suddenly dazzled the eyes of the panther, I've got a good notion he'd move along. How about it, Allan?"

"I guess you're right, Thad," chuckled the Maine boy. "All the cat tribe seem to be dreadfully afraid of fire. Yes, that would sure fetch him."

Neither Giraffe nor Step Hen gave utterance to a single word, one way or the other. They were, as the former would have expressed it, "just tickled to death" by this bright suggestion on the part of the scout leader. And doubtless neither scout ever would believe, deep down in his admiring heart, that Thad simply "chanced" to have the explosive cartridge in his possession. Rather were they positive that he must have foreseen this very difficulty, and prepared for it.

"The only trouble is this," Thad continued, even while he handed his gun over to Step Hen, and seemed to be fumbling with both hands, as though getting the little new-fangled flashlight cartridge in readiness for action; "do you think the sudden illumination will be seen at the camp yonder; and if so what do you expect Hank and Pierre will believe?"

"Oh! it will be seen, all right," remarked Giraffe.

"Sure thing," put in Step Hen, as though he felt it his duty to give his opinion with the rest, just to show that he grasped the situation; "because those things make a fierce flare-up."

"But you ought to use it, all the same, Thad," remarked Allan. "If the men notice it at all, the chances are ten to one they'll think it was only some little lightning. Since that storm anything goes, you know."

"Little lightning it is, then," returned the scoutmaster.

"The rest of us had better hold ourselves ready to shoot, if the beast jumps this way instead of the other," Allan suggested.

"You bet we will," said Giraffe.

"Every time," whispered Step Hen, gently lowering Thad's gun to the ground, so he could handle his own better.

Now, Thad knew how both of them were apt to be impulsive, and he thought it best to warn them against precipitate action.

"Careful, boys. The chances are, you won't have to shoot. Use good judgment, and don't spoil things. Keep your eyes on that spot. Are you ready?"

"Yes," said Allan.

"Go ahead, Thad!" whispered Giraffe.

"Go on!" muttered Step Hen, partly holding his breath with suspense.

"All right. Here she goes!"

Hardly had Thad spoken these words than there was a dazzling flash. He had been wise enough to hold the little cartridge pistol out at right angles, so that the fierce white glare might not blind them, as he hoped it would do in connection with the panther.

All of the boys were eagerly on the watch; and knowing just where to look they instantly sighted the panther. The abrupt and terrific burst of intense light had produced an effect upon the startled beast, just as Thad and Allan had so confidently predicted.

The boys saw a long, lithe, gray body leap wildly into the air. This was the beast that had just been disputing their right to advance further into his domain.

Evidently the cautious nature of the panther, together with his well-known fear of fire, had combined to give him a shock; for when he made that spasmodic leap into the air, it was _away_ from the "little lightning," and not toward it.

For a second or two only did that brilliant illumination continue. Then darkness once more swallowed up the surroundings; and doubtless it was all the more dense to the eyes of the four boys because of that recent dazzling flash.

They could hear a patter of feline feet among the dead leaves; but the sounds were retreating. There also came a low whimper. Allan told them later that a panther always gives utterance to such a complaining sound when he has been whipped in a fight, and made to slink off; or else frightened in any way.

"He's gone!" said Allan, reassuringly.

"And the chances are, he won't dare to block our path again in a hurry," Thad declared.

"Say, that old painter must a got a shock, though," Giraffe went on. "It was enough to scare anything that walks on four legs, or even two. Fact is, if I hadn't been looking for it, the giddy old thing would a given me a start."

"Same here," admitted Step Hen.

"Now that the way's clear, let's go on, boys," remarked Thad, as he took his gun again from Step Hen; "and we'll hope all our troubles can be chased away as easy as that."