CHAPTER VII.
TREED BY A LYNX.
There was but one thing to do and Ralph did it. In the molecule of timegranted to him, he got on his feet. At the same time he uttered a yellwhich had the intended effect of checking the second onslaught of thelynx for an instant.
Of that instant Ralph took good advantage. He bounded at full speedtoward the nearest tree which looked as if it might sustain his weight.Luckily, there was one not far off--a dead cedar. He managed to reachit just ahead of the lynx and began scrambling into the low growingbranches. The rifle that had failed him in that critical moment, heabandoned as useless; anyhow he could not have climbed, encumbered withthe heavy weapon.
“If I ever get out of this I’ll stick to the old-fashioned repeater,”was his thought as he flung the weapon full at the head of the lynx,missing her, in his agitation, by a good foot.
Under the circumstances, Ralph had done what he thought best in makingfor the tree. In reality, though, had he had time for reflection, hewould better have taken his chances in a race toward his companions,for of course a lynx can climb as well as any wild cat. In fact, Ralphhad hardly gained a second’s security before the creature flung herselffuriously against the foot of the tree and began climbing after the boy.
“She’s coming after me, sure as fate!” gasped Ralph desperately.“Gracious, look at those claws! I’ve got to stop her in some way; butI’d like to know how.”
By this time he had clambered some distance up the tree, an easy task,for the branches grew fairly thick, and as the tree was dead there wereno leafy boughs to encumber his progress. But unfortunately, this madeit equally easy for his assailant to pursue him. Ralph saw that unlesshe did something decisive pretty quickly, he would be driven to theupper part of the tree where it would be unsafe for his weight.
Just above him, at this juncture, he spied a fairly heavy branch which,it seemed, he might break off easily. Reaching above him, the boy gaveit a stout tug, and found that he had at least a good, thick club inhis possession.
The lynx was just below him. Ralph raised his luckily found weapon andbrought it down with a resounding crack on her skull.
With a howl of rage the creature dropped; but caught on a lower branchand clinging there, glared up at him more menacingly than before. Farfrom injuring her as the boy had hoped, the blow had only served toinfuriate the creature.
Suddenly, as if determined to bring the contest to a speedytermination, the lynx began climbing again. Once more Ralph raised hisclub and as the animal came within striking distance he brought itdown again with all his force.
“I hope I crack your ugly head,” he muttered vindictively as he struck.
But by bad luck, Ralph’s hopes were doomed to be blasted. He had strucka good, hard blow and one that sent the lynx, snarling and spitting,scurrying down the tree. But with such good will had he delivered theblow that his club had broken in two. The best part of it went crashingto the ground, leaving him with only a stump in his hand.
“If she comes back at me now, I’m done for,” thought Ralph, as helooked downward.
But for the moment it appeared that the creature had no such intention.Perhaps the two blows had stunned and confused her. At any rate shelay on one of the lower boughs seemingly stupefied. As Ralph gingerlyprepared to descend, however, hoping to pass by the brute, she gave asnarl and slipped with cat-like agility to the ground. There, at thefoot of the tree she lay, gazing upward with malicious eyes. Evidentlyshe had given up her first method of attack, but meant to lie therelike a sentinel and let Ralph make the next move.
“Gracious!” thought the boy as he saw this, “I am in a fine pickle. Ican’t fire any shots to attract the attention of the bunch and I guessshouting won’t do much good. They may come to look for me, but theywon’t know in what direction to search.”
Nevertheless, Ralph inhaled a good, deep breath and shouted with allhis lung power. But no result was manifest, except that the lynxgrowled and snarled and lashed its stumpy tail angrily. Once it set upa dreary howl and the unpleasant thought occurred to Ralph that thecreature might be calling its mate.
“If two of them come at me--” he thought; but he didn’t dwell on thatthought.
Instead, he cut himself another club and then sitting back,thought the situation over with all his might. As if in search ofan inspiration he began rummaging his pockets. How he wished hehad brought his revolver along, or even the ammonia “squirt-gun”that he carried occasionally when traveling as a protection againstugly-natured dogs. All at once, in an inside pocket, his handencountered a small bottle. Ralph almost uttered a cry of joy. Asudden flash of inspiration had come to him. In the bottle was someconcentrated ammonia. He had filled his “squirt-gun” that morningbefore placing it in the pack, and in the hurry of leaving the train atPine Pass had shoved the bottle into his pocket.
“It’s an awfully long chance,” he thought as he drew out the bottle,“but, by Jove, I’ll try it. Desperate situations call for desperateremedies, and this is sure a tough predicament that I’m in.”
His movements had attracted the attention of the lynx, and it rearedup on its hind legs and began clambering toward him once more. Withtrembling fingers Ralph drew the cork of the bottle, and a pungent odorfilled the air. The reek of the ardent drug made the boy’s eyes water;but he was glad the stuff was so strong. It suited his purpose all thebetter.
What he had to do now was nerve-racking in the extreme. He did not dareto try to put his plan into execution till the lynx got closer to him,and to sit still and watch the ugly brute clambering toward him wasenough to upset the stoutest nature. Ralph waited till the animal wason a branch directly below him and was glaring up at him as if makingup its mind for the final onslaught.
Then suddenly he cried out:
“Take that, you brute!”
With a swift, sure aim he doused the contents of the ammonia bottlefull in the face of the lynx. The effect was immediate and startling.With a scream of rage and pain the blinded animal dropped, clawing andscratching through the dead limbs, to the ground. Landing on all foursshe began clawing up the earth in a frenzy of pain. The sharp, pungentammonia was eating into her eyes like a red-hot flame.
Suddenly, above the yelps and howls of the maddened creature, therecame another sound, a hail off in the woods.
“Ralph! oh, Ralph!”
“Here I am, fellows! This way! Come on quick!” shouted Ralph at the topof his voice.
Then as they grew closer, still shouting, he added a word of caution:
“Have your guns ready! I’m treed by a lynx!”
Through the trees the two boys burst into view. At the same instant thelynx dashed madly off toward the trail. As she dashed along she pawedher tingling eyes, trying in vain to rid them of the smarting fluidthat Ralph’s lucky throw had filled them with.
Ralph slid to the ground and picking up his faithless rifle joinedhis chums in a wild chase after the animal. Yelling like Comanchesthey dashed after, making the uproar that had alarmed and startled theprofessor and Mountain Jim and their young companion. But it was nottill they reached the trail, beyond the now tethered horses, that theycame within shooting distance of it. Then Persimmons raised his rifleand fired.
As the shot echoed across the muskeg the lynx bounded into the air,turned a somersault, and just as the rest of the party rode up, laytwitching in death with Persimmons bending proudly over it.
“Larruping lynxes,” he was shouting, “I guess we’ve got at least oneskin to take home!”
The Border Boys in the Canadian Rockies Page 8