“Phœnix,” said Chap, after the two had watched and watched and watched, “I don’t believe much in this panther business, after all. I move that you and I take regular watches like the sailors on a ship. First, one of us can take a nap for half an hour, and then he can wake up and let the other one have a snooze for the same time. In this way each of us can get half a night’s sleep in broken dozes. As for that panther, he’s badly behind time; most likely switched off on a siding to let a down train, such as a couple of bears, pass him.” Phœnix agreed to this proposal, and kindly allowed Chap to take the first nap. At the end of what he supposed was a good half-hour, but which was, in reality, only twenty minutes, Phœnix tried to wake up his companion; but it was of no use. Chap slept as sound as a log, and he could not be aroused, unless more noise and confusion were made than would be proper on such an occasion. So Phœnix determined to watch a little longer, and if nothing turned up, to go to sleep himself. Just about the time this resolution was made, Mr. Pitman remarked, in a very audible whisper, that if he had had a puppy dog, that he did not care much about, he would have tied it to the end of the pier, and then its yelping would have attracted the panther’s attention, and he would have been certain to go out there to get it. Phil whispered that he thought that would have been a cruel thing to do. “Oh, no,” replied Mr. Pitman. “There wouldn’t ’a’ been no danger to the dog. I’d ’a’ put a ball through the painter afore he’d got to him. Stop talking! Look thar!” There was no occasion to tell anybody to look, for along the beach, not very far from the edge of the woods, a dark form, like that of an immense cat, was moving, stealthily, but with moderate speed, toward the house and the pier. Phil trembled in every fibre when he saw this creature, not with fear, but with excitement. “Is that a panther?” he thought. “So near a house, and right on the very beach where we are ourselves?” He raised his gun a little in imitation of Adam, who was kneeling silently behind his bush; but his arms trembled so much that he thought he would never be able to hit anything, no matter how near it might be. Phœnix also saw the approaching panther, and all idea of sleep immediately forsook him. He endeavored to gently arouse Chap, but this was useless, and with strained eyes he watched the scene on shore.