temper and ferocity that was not to be mistaken. Reno's sudden
onslaught was all that had driven it to leap into the tree. But there
it crouched, squalling and tearing the hard wood into splinters with
its unsheathed claws. In a moment it would leap down upon the dog,
and Ruth was horror-stricken.

"Oh, Reno! Good dog!" she moaned. "Come back! come back!"

The mastiff would not obey and in a moment the huge cat sprang out
of the tree directly upon Tom Cameron's faithful companion. Reno was
too sharp to be easily caught, however; he leaped aside and the sabre-like
claws of the panther missed him. Nor was the dog unwise enough
to meet the panther face to face.

He sprang in and bit the cat shrewdly, and then got away before the
beast wheeled, yelling, to strike him. Round and round in the snow
they went, so fast that it was impossible for Ruth to see which was
dog and which was cat, their paws throwing up a cloud of snow-dust
that almost hid the combatants.

"Ah!" cried Ruth, aloud. "I've missed my chance, I should have tried
to shoot the creature while it was in the tree."

And that seemed true enough. For had she been the best of shots with
the rifle, it looked now as though she was as likely to shoot Reno as
the panther whilst they battled in the snow.