“Hi! what’s up?” came from John Barrow, and throwing aside his blanket, he leaped to his feet.

“A wildcat!” ejaculated Dick.  “Quick!  Shoot him!”

“By gosh!” muttered the guide, and blinking in the bright light of the fire, he reached for his rifle, which he had brought along in addition to his shotgun.

By this time the wildcat was close to Dick, and now, watching its opportunity, it leaped upon the youth, trying to bury its claws in Dick’s shoulder.

Hardly knowing what to do, Dick brought around the gun barrel and poked it into the open mouth of the wildcat.  With a gurgle of pain the beast fell back, but quickly gathered itself for another leap.

“Back!” shouted John Barrow.  “Back, and let me git a shot at the critter!”

Dick was perfectly willing to retreat, and started to do so.  But the wildcat was too quick for him, and in a twinkle youth and beast were down on the ground together, and the wildcat was trying to reach the boy’s throat with its cruel fangs!

CHAPTER XX.

Bear pond at last.

It was indeed a moment of supreme peril, and Dick felt very much as if his last moment on earth had come.  He put out his hands mechanically and grabbed the wildcat by the throat, but his grip was poor and the beast shook itself clear with ease.

It was now that John Barrow showed himself to be a master of quick resources.  To fire his rifle at the wildcat would have meant taking the risk of hitting Dick, and this the guide thought too perilous.  Leaping to the fire, he caught up a long, burning brand and rushed at the beast with this.

To have a part of the fire thrust directly into its eyes was more than the beast had bargained for, and as soon as it felt the flame it gave a cry of alarm and fell back.  As it did this Dick leaped to his feet and sprang several feet away.

[Illustration:  Dick and the wildcat. Rover Boys and the Mountains.]

John Barrow was now free to shoot, and hurling the firebrand at the wildcat, he caught up his rifle and blazed away in short order.  The wildcat had turned to retreat, but the guide was too quick for it, and down went the beast with a shot through its head.  It gave a shudder or two, and then stretched out, dead.

“Is he—­he dead?” panted Dick, when he felt able to speak.

“Reckon so,” responded John Barrow.  “But I’ll make sure.”  And catching up a club, he aimed a blow which crushed the animal’s skull.

“That was a narrow escape,” went on Dick.  “If you hadn’t come to my aid, I’m afraid he would have done me up.”  And he shivered from head to foot.

“You want to be careful how you attack wildcats around here, lad.  It aint likely they’ll tech you, if you don’t tech them.  But if you do, why, look out, that’s all.”