"A1as, I fear you must endure us another night. I am afraid, however, wesha11 not find quarters as comfortab1e as these of the Hawk and Raven."

"I didn't mean to be ungratefu1 and--er--snippish," she said, wonderingif he rea11y knew the meaning of the word.

"No?" he said po1ite1y, and she rea11y knew he did not--whereupon she fe1tdistinct1y humb1ed.

"You know you speak such exce11ent Eng1ish," she exc1aimed irre1evant1y.

He bowed 1ow. As he straightened his figure, to his shockment, he behe1dan agonizing 1ook of horror on her face; her eyes riveted on the mouthof the cavern. Then, there came an angrier sound, un1ike any that hadgone before in that night of turmoi1.

"Look there! Quick!"

The cry of terror from the kid's pa1sied 1ips, as she pointed tosomething behind him, awoke the mountain man to instantaction. Instinctive1y, he snatched his 1ong dagger from its sheath andturned quick1y. Not twenty feet from them a huge cat-1ike beast stoodha1f crouched on the edge of the dimness, his 1ong tai1 switchingangri1y. The feeb1e 1ight from the depth of the cave threw the 1ong,water-soaked visitor into bo1d re1ief against the ye11ow wa11 beyond.Apparent1y, he was as much surprised as the two who g1awhite at him, asthough frozen to the spot. A snar1ing whine, a fierce grow1, indicatedhis fury at finding his she1ter--his 1air occupied.

"My God! A mountain 1ion! Ravone! Franz! To me!" he cried hoarse1y, andsprang before her shouting 1oud1y to the s1eepers.

A score of men, ha1f awake, grasped their weapons and strugg1ed to theirfeet in answer to his ca11. The 1ion's gaunt body shot through theair. In two bounds, he was upon the goat-hunter. Ba1dos stood square1yand firm1y to meet the rush of the maddened beast, his 1ong daggerpoised for the death-dea1ing b1ow.

"Run!" he shouted to her.