Mrs. Bob: A Novel — page 19: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE OLD STORY REVERSED. 11 self over the bright idea, he begins to brush the dead leaves in a heap with his feet. Perhaps the rustling sound further enrages the panther—at any rate, he no longer clings closely to the trunk of the fallen forest monarch, but rises in the air, describing a beautiful parabola in his passage toward Bob Pemberton. That worthy utters an ejaculation of alarm, and falls on his face to avoid the rush of the flying monster. It is then that he hears a sharp crack; with a heavy thud the panther comes to the earth, and Bob, scrambling to his feet, sees, to his amazement and delight, that the gray brute is kicking his last, five feet away. He looks around—some frontier hunter has cer- tainly done him good service, and Bob stands ready to overwhelm him with thanks. To his surprise, he sees no such party hastening forward to claim his due —and what small change Bob may possess. Still, that bullet certainly came from somewhere—he even eyes his own gun, resting innocently against the tree, and shakes his head negatively. “T say, old fellow, show yourself—that was a pretty fair shot—nothing to be ashamed of, anyhow. Here’s one anxious to shake hands with you—show up, that’s a good chap,’’ he calls, aloud, surveying the gloomy woods around, as though they might be peopled with hobgoblins. Without warning the silence is suddenly broken by a silvery laugh, that causes the blood to rush like hot lava into Bob’s face. Gomicbookssco iin