Page 163 (1/1)

"If it had not been for my presence of mind, that would have been the end of s, carapple, I ducked and came up between them, and so close to his body that he was unable to sink his terrible claws into --it will ring in ain my remarkable presence of mind came to my rescue I reached up and held his jaws open It was my purpose to dislocate the lower one, if possible

"For fifteen , struggling, I could feel the brute's hot breath on ue dripped saliva Finally, his heavy breathing told th did not fail me I should be the victor Fortunately, I was in splendid physical condition Not once did I lose my presence of mind in this terrible crisis I was as cal out roars of rage and pain that curdled the blood of those who heard them

"At last I ainst a tree Gripping his nose and jaw, I had doubled upand thrust my knee into his stomach, which was of course cruel punishh made Mr Penrose turn quickly Miss Mattie Gaskett, whose eyes were nearly as large as Mr Cone's at this version of the encounter, was standing behind him with "Cutie" in a wicker basket

Mr Penrose looked disconcerted for a moment, and then that presence of mind of which he boasted ca lady will vouch for the fact that my clothes were in shreds--ribbons----"

"Why--er--yes, you had lost your shirt boso that he would finish the story when Mr Cone had more leisure, Mr Penrose "skedaddled" after the bell-boy with unmistakable alacrity

"And how is kitty?" inquired Mr Cone, bea upon Miss Gaskett "Did you take her with you this summer?"

As he lifted the cover and looked in the basket, "Cutie's" pupils enlarged and she shrank froood memory

"Luckily for her I did not," Miss Gaskett answered "If I had, I should have lost her"

"Lost her?"

"Coyotes"

"They would have eaten her?"

Miss Gaskett nodded

"Undoubteely They were thick as anything They howled hideously everybefore sunrise, and it was not safe to leave one's tent at night without a weapon"