The Motor Rangers Through the Sierras

d more rapidly. At the same instant, as if by mutual consent, his mate started to advance from the rear of the cave. It was e

the cave was littered with boulders of various sizes, ranging from stones

n a baseball, and then throwing himself into a pitching postur

t to exercise his skill now in a way of which he had little dreamed when on the diamond. His hand described an evolution in t

true it spe

uched for a spring on the defenseless lads, who stood betwe

ac

act with the skull of the crouchin

!" yelled J

the lion's head it did so with the keen surface foremost. Like a knife it drove its way into the skull

his action was that his career came very near being terminated then and there. The cougar had only been stunned, and as the stuttering boy gave on

an acrobat, as he saw the mighty muscles tauten for action, and so escaped being felled by th

ed an automatic rifle of heavy calibre. As Ding-dong leaped back he aimed and fired, but in the darkness he missed, and with a

Nat, like Monte C

ch now. True, there was one of the cougars still back in the cave

can devil sprang on me near the gulf village," said Nat, re

ave began to give signs that it too was meditating an attack. There are few animals that will not fight desperately when

voice, as a rumbling growl resounded

ome," sputtered Di

said Nat in a whispered tone, "we c

otor vehicle, and kneeling on the seat awaited the o

ting ourselves in danger," said Nat, "it doesn't seem

ail," Joe reminded him; "these cougars, too, kill hundreds of sheep and young calve

d Nat, "still fair pl

mething that occurred just at that instant, and

over the back of the tonneau, peering into the darkness at the rear of the cave. He was tryi

-dong, or you'l

s neck just a bit too far. His upper quarters over-balanced his stumpy legs and body, an

Instead, the momentum lent him by his fall appeared to propel him forward down the sloping floor.

bara, gave out with a flicker and a fizz at this moment. The cave was plunged into almost total darkness. Nat's heart came into

ove poor Ding-dong's cries, "ho

ted out Nat earnestly,

m from Ding-dong, who had now stopped rolling, but was not yet on his feet. The she-cougar

-spring two rifles cracked, and with a convulsive struggle the great tawny body fell with a

g-dong, having regained his feet, darted at t

ar's eyes. This time dead silence followed the reports, which reverberated deafeningly in the

nt they had not noticed him dart by. Presently, however, a slight noise near the cave month attracted

-come in?" he as

ll be to dig down in the clothes chest and put on dry things. Then you will refill the lamps with carbide, which

ed Ding-dong with so serious a

to keep you out of misc

fire with some driftwood that lay about the cave. Hot coffee was then brewed, and some of the stores opened. After imbib

s came to the conclusion, which was probably correct, that the cougars had merely taken to it for shelter from the storm. However that was, all three of them felt that they had had a mighty narrow escape. Ding-dong inwar

d Joe, looking out of the cave while h

of pants for every s-s-s-s-sailor in the n

aid Nat, "come on, boys, pack up the cups

ht?" asked Joe. "I guess we can't

et and pulling out a map stoutly mounted on tough lin

about fifteen miles

p-lace is it?" Ding-

ejoined Nat. "I don't imagine th

he had been looking forward to stopping at a hotel that night. He sai

and his two companions in the tonneau. The faces of all were as beaming as the weather had now turned out. T

ave lay, was speedily traversed and the auto's nose headed north. For some time they bowled along at a slow

Hartley, who for a bumpy mile or two had sat with his hea

ure," grinned Joe, resumin

till only a thin strip of blue sky showed at the summit. The rugged slopes were clothed with a sparse growth of pi

ncy brake, so that the steepness of the declivity did not alarm them. Without hesitating Nat allowed the car to roll over the summit and begin the drop. The exhilaration of the

Nat!

ed up suddenly. They were just rounding a curve, beyo

of the old-fashioned "thorough-brace type." It was stationary, however, and its passengers st

mething the matter down there at the

sought the emergency brake le

s his face as the lever suddenly felt "loose" in his hand. The car see

he had no control over the car which was tearing forward with the speed of the wind. The ordinary brake had n

. All three of the Motor Rangers' bronzed, sunburned faces bla