“I mus’ say, Marse Frank, dat I kain’t see none ob dat what yo’ says.” ‪“Pshaw!” exclaimed Frank, testily. ‪“Neither one of you have good eyesight. It is plain enough to see.” With this, the famous inventor descended from the wagon. Barney and Pomp stood looking at each other and feeling a bit crestfallen. ‪“Begorra, I can see it if yez kin, naygur,” exclaimed Barney. “G’long, yo’ fool I’ishman. I has’n seen it m’se’f yet.” ‪“You fellows look out for things until I come back,” shouted Frank, starting toward the forest. Barney grabbed up his rifle. ‪“Hould on a bit, Misther Frank,” he cried. “It ain’t a bit safe fer yez to go off out there alone.” “Jes’ yo’ wait dar, I’ish, I’se gwine wid Marse Frank m’se’f.” “No, yez won’t.” “Yo’ jes’ bet I will.” The two zealous servitors were in imminent danger of a collision. But Frank turned and said peremptorily: ‪“Hold where you are. I am going alone. Look out for the Man until I get back.” This settled the question. Reluctantly they turned back, and Pomp went about his cooking duties, while Barney gazed wistfully after Frank and declared: “Be me sowl, it ain’t safe for that man to go out there alone. I’ll just kape me eye out all the same.” So Barney proceeded to keep an eye out, while Pomp was busy at his work. Reaching the woods, Frank entered them without hesitation. He was confident that he had really seen the walls of a ruined building through the thick foliage. To his best belief it was some part of the ruined city they were in quest of. But upon entering the forest, Frank found that progress was not so easy as he fancied. The vines and matted shrubbery were almost impenetrable. The famous inventor, however, used a small hatchet, and proceeded to cut his way through. In this manner he had very soon cleared quite a path. But suddenly he was brought to a halt in a most startling manner. Down through a network of vines he suddenly saw a glistening pair of eyeballs. To his startled fancy they seemed veritable balls of fire, and for a moment he could not act. They were fixed upon him with piercing and deadly earnestness. Frank instinctively knew that they belonged to some wild animal. Just what kind of a creature it was he could not at the moment tell. But he was satisfied that his position was one of deadly peril. But he was not one given to fear or hesitation. His mind was quickly made up as to what to do. Quick as thought he brought his rifle up and fired point blank directly between the blazing eyeballs. The result was terrific. Frank had presence of mind enough to sink down upon his face just as a tremendous tawny body rose out of the shrubbery and sprang directly over him. It was as he saw at that moment a monstrous puma or panther, called by the natives lion. Indeed, the genuine lion is not a more formidable beast to encounter than the puma of Central America. It was a narrow escape that Frank had had.