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Late¡¡in¡¡the¡¡night¡¡Helen¡¡heard¡¡Dale¡¡sternly¡¡calling¡¡Pedro¡£
She¡¡felt¡¡some¡¡little¡¡alarm¡£¡¡¡¡However£»¡¡nothing¡¡happened£»¡¡and
she¡¡soon¡¡went¡¡to¡¡sleep¡¡again¡£¡¡¡¡At¡¡the¡¡morning¡¡meal¡¡Dale
explained¡£

¡¨Pedro¡¡an'¡¡Tom¡¡were¡¡uneasy¡¡last¡¡night¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡think¡¡there¡¡are
lions¡¡workin'¡¡over¡¡the¡¡ridge¡¡somewhere¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡heard¡¡one¡¡scream¡£¡¨

¡¨Scream£¿¡¨¡¡inquired¡¡Bo£»¡¡with¡¡interest¡£

¡¨Yes£»¡¡an'¡¡if¡¡you¡¡ever¡¡hear¡¡a¡¡lion¡¡scream¡¡you¡¡will¡¡think¡¡it¡¡a
woman¡¡in¡¡mortal¡¡agony¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡cougar¡¡cry£»¡¡as¡¡Roy¡¡calls¡¡it£»¡¡is
the¡¡wildest¡¡to¡¡be¡¡heard¡¡in¡¡the¡¡woods¡£¡¡¡¡A¡¡wolf¡¡howls¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡is
sad¡£¡¡¡¡hungry£»¡¡and¡¡wild¡£¡¡¡¡But¡¡a¡¡cougar¡¡seems¡¡human¡¡an'¡¡dyin'
an'¡¡wild¡£¡¡¡¡We'll¡¡saddle¡¡up¡¡an'¡¡ride¡¡over¡¡there¡£¡¡¡¡Maybe¡¡Pedro
will¡¡tree¡¡a¡¡lion¡£¡¡¡¡Bo£»¡¡if¡¡he¡¡does¡¡will¡¡you¡¡shoot¡¡it£¿¡¨

¡¨Sure£»¡¨¡¡replied¡¡Bo£»¡¡with¡¡her¡¡mouth¡¡full¡¡of¡¡biscuit¡£

That¡¡was¡¡how¡¡they¡¡came¡¡to¡¡take¡¡a¡¡long£»¡¡slow£»¡¡steep¡¡ride
under¡¡cover¡¡of¡¡dense¡¡spruce¡£¡¡¡¡Helen¡¡liked¡¡the¡¡ride¡¡after¡¡they
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she¡¡could¡¡indulge¡¡in¡¡her¡¡pleasure¡¡of¡¡gazing¡¡afar¡¡over¡¡the
ranges¡£¡¡¡¡Dale¡¡led¡¡up¡¡and¡¡down£»¡¡and¡¡finally¡¡mostly¡¡down£»¡¡until
they¡¡came¡¡out¡¡within¡¡sight¡¡of¡¡sparser¡¡wooded¡¡ridges¡¡with
parks¡¡lying¡¡below¡¡and¡¡streams¡¡shining¡¡in¡¡the¡¡sun¡£

More¡¡than¡¡once¡¡Pedro¡¡had¡¡to¡¡be¡¡harshly¡¡called¡¡by¡¡Dale¡£¡¡¡¡The
hound¡¡scented¡¡game¡£

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bleached¡¡bones¡¡scattered¡¡under¡¡a¡¡spruce¡£¡¡¡¡Tufts¡¡of
grayish¡­white¡¡hair¡¡lay¡¡strewn¡¡around¡£

¡¨What¡¡was¡¡it£¿¡¨¡¡asked¡¡Bo¡£

¡¨Deer£»¡¡of¡¡course¡£¡¡¡¡Killed¡¡there¡¡an'¡¡eaten¡¡by¡¡a¡¡lion¡£¡¡¡¡Sometime
last¡¡fall¡£¡¡¡¡See£»¡¡even¡¡the¡¡skull¡¡is¡¡split¡£¡¡¡¡But¡¡I¡¡could¡¡not¡¡say
that¡¡the¡¡lion¡¡did¡¡it¡£¡¨

Helen¡¡shuddered¡£¡¡¡¡She¡¡thought¡¡of¡¡the¡¡tame¡¡deer¡¡down¡¡at¡¡Dale's
camp¡£¡¡¡¡How¡¡beautiful¡¡and¡¡graceful£»¡¡and¡¡responsive¡¡to
kindness£¡

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and¡¡clumps¡¡of¡¡some¡¡green¡¡bushes¡¡bordering¡¡it¡£¡¡¡¡Here¡¡Pedro
barked£»¡¡the¡¡first¡¡time¡¡Helen¡¡had¡¡heard¡¡him¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡hair¡¡on¡¡his
neck¡¡bristled£»¡¡and¡¡it¡¡required¡¡stern¡¡calls¡¡from¡¡Dale¡¡to¡¡hold
him¡¡in¡£¡¡¡¡Dale¡¡dismounted¡£

¡¨Hyar£»¡¡Pede£»¡¡you¡¡get¡¡back£»¡¨¡¡he¡¡ordered¡£¡¡¡¡¡¨I'll¡¡let¡¡you¡¡go
presently¡£¡¡¡£¡¡¡£¡¡¡£¡¡¡¡Girls£»¡¡you're¡¡goin'¡¡to¡¡see¡¡somethin'¡£¡¡¡¡But
stay¡¡on¡¡your¡¡horses¡£¡¨

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here¡¡and¡¡there¡¡at¡¡the¡¡edge¡¡of¡¡the¡¡swale¡£¡¡¡¡Presently¡¡he¡¡halted
on¡¡a¡¡slight¡¡elevation¡¡and¡¡beckoned¡¡for¡¡the¡¡girls¡¡to¡¡ride
over¡£

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round£»¡¨¡¡he¡¡said£»¡¡pointing¡£¡¡¡¡¡¨A¡¡lion¡¡made¡¡that¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡sneaked
there£»¡¡watchin'¡¡for¡¡deer¡£¡¡¡¡That¡¡was¡¡done¡¡this¡¡mornin'¡£¡¡¡¡Come
on£»¡¡now¡£¡¡¡¡Let's¡¡see¡¡if¡¡we¡¡can¡¡trail¡¡him¡£¡¨

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Suddenly¡¡he¡¡straightened¡¡up¡¡with¡¡a¡¡flash¡¡in¡¡his¡¡gray¡¡eyes¡£

¡¨Here's¡¡where¡¡he¡¡jumped¡£¡¨

But¡¡Helen¡¡could¡¡not¡¡see¡¡any¡¡reason¡¡why¡¡Dale¡¡should¡¡say¡¡that¡£
The¡¡man¡¡of¡¡the¡¡forest¡¡took¡¡a¡¡long¡¡stride¡¡then¡¡another¡£

¡¨An'¡¡here's¡¡where¡¡that¡¡lion¡¡lit¡¡on¡¡the¡¡back¡¡of¡¡the¡¡deer¡£¡¡¡¡It
was¡¡a¡¡big¡¡jump¡£¡¡¡¡See¡¡the¡¡sharp¡¡hoof¡¡tracks¡¡of¡¡the¡¡deer¡£¡¨¡¡Dale
pressed¡¡aside¡¡tall¡¡grass¡¡to¡¡show¡¡dark£»¡¡rough£»¡¡fresh¡¡tracks
of¡¡a¡¡deer£»¡¡evidently¡¡made¡¡by¡¡violent¡¡action¡£

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to¡¡see¡¡somethin'¡¡now¡£¡¡¡£¡¡¡£¡¡¡£¡¡¡¡Here's¡¡where¡¡the¡¡deer¡¡bounded£»
carryin'¡¡the¡¡lion¡£¡¨

¡¨What£¡¡¨¡¡exclaimed¡¡Bo£»¡¡incredulously¡£

¡¨The¡¡deer¡¡was¡¡runnin'¡¡here¡¡with¡¡the¡¡lion¡¡on¡¡his¡¡back¡£¡¡¡¡I'll
prove¡¡it¡¡to¡¡you¡£¡¡¡¡Come¡¡on£»¡¡now¡£¡¡¡¡Pedro£»¡¡you¡¡stay¡¡with¡¡me¡£
Girls£»¡¡it's¡¡a¡¡fresh¡¡trail¡£¡¨¡¡Dale¡¡walked¡¡along£»¡¡leading¡¡his
horse£»¡¡and¡¡occasionally¡¡he¡¡pointed¡¡down¡¡into¡¡the¡¡grass¡£
¡¨There£¡¡¡¡¡See¡¡that£¡¡¡¡¡That's¡¡hair¡£¡¨

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the¡¡grass£»¡¡where¡¡an¡¡animal¡¡had¡¡recently¡¡passed¡£¡¡¡¡All¡¡at¡¡once
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grass¡£¡¡¡¡Even¡¡Helen's¡¡inexperienced¡¡eyes¡¡could¡¡make¡¡out
evidences¡¡of¡¡a¡¡struggle¡£¡¡¡¡Tufts¡¡of¡¡gray¡­white¡¡hair¡¡lay¡¡upon
the¡¡crushed¡¡grass¡£¡¡¡¡Helen¡¡did¡¡not¡¡need¡¡to¡¡see¡¡any¡¡more£»¡¡but
Dale¡¡silently¡¡pointed¡¡to¡¡a¡¡patch¡¡of¡¡blood¡£¡¡¡¡Then¡¡he¡¡spoke£º

¡¨The¡¡lion¡¡brought¡¡the¡¡deer¡¡down¡¡here¡¡an'¡¡killed¡¡him¡£
Probably¡¡broke¡¡his¡¡neck¡£¡¡¡¡That¡¡deer¡¡ran¡¡a¡¡hundred¡¡yards¡¡with
the¡¡lion¡£¡¡¡¡See£»¡¡here's¡¡the¡¡trail¡¡left¡¡where¡¡the¡¡lion¡¡dragged
the¡¡deer¡¡off¡£¡¨

A¡¡well¡­defined¡¡path¡¡showed¡¡across¡¡the¡¡swale¡£

¡¨Girls£»¡¡you'll¡¡see¡¡that¡¡deer¡¡pretty¡¡quick£»¡¨¡¡declared¡¡Dale£»
starting¡¡forward¡£¡¡¡¡¡¨This¡¡work¡¡has¡¡just¡¡been¡¡done¡£¡¡¡¡Only¡¡a¡¡few
minutes¡¡ago¡£¡¨

¡¨How¡¡can¡¡you¡¡tell£¿¡¨¡¡queried¡¡Bo¡£

¡¨Look£¡¡¡¡¡See¡¡that¡¡grass¡£¡¡¡¡It¡¡has¡¡been¡¡bent¡¡down¡¡by¡¡the¡¡deer
bein'¡¡dragged¡¡over¡¡it¡£¡¡¡¡Now¡¡it's¡¡springin'¡¡up¡£¡¨

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spruce¡¡with¡¡low£»¡¡spreading¡¡branches¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡look¡¡of¡¡Pedro
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¡¨Girls£»¡¡that¡¡lion¡¡heard¡¡us¡¡an'¡¡left¡£¡¡¡¡He's¡¡not¡¡far£»¡¨¡¡said
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Neck¡¡broken¡£¡¡¡¡See¡¡the¡¡lion's¡¡teeth¡¡an'¡¡claw¡¡marks¡£¡¡¡£¡¡¡£¡¡¡£¡¡¡¡It's
a¡¡doe¡£¡¡¡¡Look¡¡here¡£¡¡¡¡Don't¡¡be¡¡squeamish£»¡¡girls¡£¡¡¡¡This¡¡is¡¡only¡¡an
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¡¨What¡¡murderous¡¡work£»¡¡The¡¡sight¡¡sickens¡¡me£¡¡¨¡¡exclaimed
Helen¡£

¡¨It¡¡is¡¡nature£»¡¨¡¡said¡¡Dale£»¡¡simply¡£

¡¨Let's¡¡kill¡¡the¡¡lion£»¡¨¡¡added¡¡Bo¡£

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and¡¡then£»¡¡mounting£»¡¡he¡¡called¡¡to¡¡the¡¡hound¡£¡¡¡¡¡¨Hunt¡¡him¡¡up£»
Pedro¡£¡¨

Like¡¡a¡¡shot¡¡the¡¡hound¡¡was¡¡off¡£

¡¨Ride¡¡in¡¡my¡¡tracks¡¡an'¡¡keep¡¡close¡¡to¡¡me£»¡¨¡¡called¡¡Dale£»¡¡as¡¡he
wheeled¡¡his¡¡horse¡£

¡¨We're¡¡off£¡¡¨¡¡squealed¡¡Bo£»¡¡in¡¡wild¡¡delight£»¡¡and¡¡she¡¡made¡¡her
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