treasure was involved; and so it was, the biggest speckled trout he had
ever caught in all his life.

Giraffe scrambled forward, waving his arms in order to discourage any
beast that might think to attack him, and "shooing" at a vigorous rate.

"Brace up, Bumpus!" he called out.

"Is it safe?" demanded the fat scout, joyously.

"Yes, he didn't dare carry it off when we got to shouting so lively; and
here's your trout, but I reckon we had better take care to make it
secure next time. These cats can climb some, and that's right."

"Was it really a wildcat?" asked Step Hen, curiously; just as though the
beast had seemed so large to his excited fancy that he would have felt
safe in calling it a panther.

"Looked mighty much that way," admitted Allan, who ought to know the
breed, as considerable of his younger life had been spent up in the
Adirondacks, and in Maine, where he must have seen many a specimen of
the feline tribe.

"I thought at first it was a tiger," Bumpus admitted, faintly; at which
there was a little laugh all around, for they could easily understand
how a fellow's fears might magnify things, when suddenly aroused, and
with only that deceptive moonlight to see by.

"Whatever it was, and we'll try and make sure in the morning," remarked
Thad, "it's gone now."