The Black Curtain (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III A FRIEND IN NEED The young man's common sense asserted itself and recalled him to a realization of their danger. "My dear child," he cried, taking an odd delight in this paternal form of address. " A mountain lion is not a beast to be trifled with. Let me fire." " A mountain lion! Oh, dear! A mountain lion ? He's mine!" The girl burst into a little irrepressible laugh. Never was a sportsman in such an embarrassing position. Mr. Paul lowered his weapon in desperation, still keeping a vigilant eye on the animal, which lashed its long tail more vigorously than ever. " Miss Judith, will you be kind enough to tell me if you 're the keeper of a menagerie ? " "It is my dog. My big mastiff, Hercules. Warranted dangerous and guaranteed to defend me against all intruders. But I 'm horribly afraid of him. Mr. Birdsall tied him up for me. He has somehow broken loose." It was Mr. Paul's turn to laugh, and the hills reechoed his boisterous merriment, while the mastiff wagged his tail with renewed energy. " Don't touch him! He 'll bite. The man whosold him to me in San Francisco assured me he had nearly killed several men." But the young man already had his hand on the dog's head, and the mastiff, instead of resenting this familiarity, seemed gratified, and was rubbing against his knee and smelling of his pockets. " I don't see how you dare," said the girl, aghast at this foolhardiness. " I know I shall never dare touch him." " Oh, dogs always like me. And you 're a good fellow, are n't you, Hercules ? I believe he 's not at all bloodthirsty, but honestly hungry, Miss Judith. I 'm afraid you don't feed your mountain lions well." He felt in his pocket and brought forth a small sandwich, wrapped in a paper bag. The dog devoured this greedily, a...