He rose to a sitting posture, and reached out and felt around him. He made out what seemed to be a solid wall of earth, at his back. Then he rose to his feet, and reached upward, trying to stretch to the top of the wall, but could not. Then he started to make his way along the wall, feeling with his hand, for guidance, and he had taken only five or six steps when he heard a low, menacing growl right in front of him. Dick paused and gazed ahead, trying to penetrate the darkness, and then he saw what looked like two gleaming balls of fire, and then as another low, fierce growl came to his hearing, he realized the truth--that he was confronted by a wild animal of some kind, and from the sound of the growl he judged that the animal was likely a panther. Dick had had considerable experience in hunting and trapping, and knew that pits were often dug for the purpose of trapping wild animals, and he guessed that he was in one of those old pits, and that he had for a companion a wildcat or panther! Dick Dare realized that his situation was indeed a dangerous one. True, he had the use of his hands and feet, but what could he hope to do against the animal without weapons of any kind? He felt that his danger was great, that his situation was indeed desperate, and he stood there, almost frozen to the spot, trying his best to think what he should do. Truly he had fled one danger but to encounter another. “From the frying pan into the fire.” Again the low, but fierce and threatening growl came to Dick’s ears. CHAPTER XV Preparing for Trouble Tom Dare and the settlers managed to hold their own against the redcoats, and the latter, after two or three attempts at forcing their way into the houses sheltering the marksmen, retreated about half a mile and evidently held a council, for they gesticulated quite a good deal. Then the settlers saw one of the soldiers take his leave, hastening down the valley, and Tom Dare exclaimed: “He’s going back to the fort after reinforcements.” “Do you think so?” asked Mr. Hicks, the man who was looked upon as being the leader at the settlement. “Yes, that is what he is going to do. They know that they can’t capture the settlement with their present force, and as we have killed one or two of them and wounded several, they are determined to capture the settlement.” “Well, they will be able to do so, if they have a strong enough force, I guess.” “Yes. And that fellow will bring enough soldiers so that they will have no trouble in getting the best of you.” The settlers looked sober and thoughtful. They realized that while they had gotten the better of the affair, so far, they would not be able to hold their own against overwhelming odds. “What shall we do, anyhow?” remarked one of the settlers.