come in contact with the sharp claws of the dreaded beast which he
claimed was hiding up there somewhere; but then that was a small matter
to one so active as the Jones boy.

He immediately started to fearlessly slide down the outside of the tree,
making use of the branches as he came along, to stay his program when it
threatened to become too rapid.

The sight of Davy spinning down from that height with such perfect
abandon, was one none of those fellows would ever forget.

When he finally landed on the ground they gathered around him with some
misgivings, for Davy was addicted to practical jokes, and some of his
chums suspected that even now he was, as Step Hen suggested, "putting up
a job on his unsuspecting comrades."

One look at his really white face told them that at least Davy's fright
had been genuine. He may not have seen a truly savage panther up there
in the tree, but he firmly believed he did.

"Where was it, Davy?" demanded Giraffe, who had hastened to snatch up
the camp hatchet in lieu of any better weapon with which to defend
himself.

"Did it try to grab you?" asked Bumpus, with a tremor in his voice that
he tried in vain to conceal by a great show of assumed bluster.

"And was there only one up there?" queried Step Hen, anxiously,
fingering the double-barreled Marlin shotgun, which was the only firearm
they had with them, as this expedition had not been organized with any