Both were sleeping so peacefully Phil hated
to disturb them. He reached for his gun and looked out again.
There was a brushing aside of the clump of bushes and a pair of eyes
glared forth, glistening brightly in the firelight. The eyes were those
of some wild beast, but what, Phil could not tell.
The animal was not looking at Phil, but at the carcass of the deer,
which had been hung up in a low tree not far from the clump of bushes.
Stealthily the animal came into the opening, and with the ease of a cat,
leaped into the tree.
"It's a wildcat--or something like it," thought Phil, and raised his gun
to fire. Then of a sudden he commenced to shake from head to foot, so
that to aim was entirely out of the question. He had what is commonly
called among hunters "buck fever," a sudden fear that often overtakes
amateur hunters when trying to shoot at big game.
"Oh, what a fool I am!" the boy told himself, and tried vainly to steady
his nerves. He hit the front tent pole with his foot, making
considerable noise.
"What's the matter?" cried Dave, waking and leaping to his feet. "What
are you doing, Phil?"
"Noth--nothing," stammered the shipowner's son. "I--I--there is
something in the tree!" And then, raising his gun, Phil banged away
blindly.
Pages:
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245