"Matthew?" Festus said as he quickly dismounted and looked at the foot prints in the mud. "It's Miss Kitty and ol' Doc all right! Why, I would recognized them foot prints a mile away!" Festus' face shone at the discovery as he looked around to find their direction.
Matt stepped down off Buck and knelt down t have a look. "They still have company though..." he said as his fingers touched the imprint of the cougar's paw. He stood and looked up the stream. "How long ago do you think they were here?"
Festus' elation faded as he knelt down again and reexamined the area. "Less than 24 hours...my guess. This stream was likely filled right up in that storm and these banks and shoulders, well they got pretty wet too..." Festus wasted no time and pulled himself back up on to his saddle and nudge Ruth to move up stream following the muddy prints. Matt followed him and his eyes scanned the countryside for his dear friends.
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The cougar growled and hissed at the two as Doc stood defiantly in front of Kitty, protecting her from the large angry cat. "Can you shoot it from here, Doc?" Kitty's voice held fear. The doctor shook his head no, "Its too much of an awkward angle, him being up so high and us down here. I'd be wasting a shot if I tried." Doc even tried jockeying positions to get a better shot, but every time he moved so did the cougar. Doc ticked his head, "That thing has one thing on it's mind, that for sure."
Kitty could little but watch and wait with Doc. They even tried to move more up stream but the cat followed step by step. Finally Doc had to stop as his leg was now pounding with pain. "I need to sit for a spell..." he groaned to Kitty who was trying to help Doc while keeping an eye on the large cat that was stalking them. They chose an area that had several large trees behind them, that way the cat would have to charge from the front if it was planning such an attack.
Doc sat the shotgun down between them and rested his head back on the tree. His rest last mere seconds as he and kitty looked up to the bank at the cat - was ready to launch down on to them. Doc scrambled for the gun and pulled it up and fired the first barrel hitting the larger cat in mid flight, but it kept on coming. It landed just in front of the doctor who had dropped the gun to move out of the way. By now Kitty scrambled for the weapon and fired the second shot that sent her reeling backwards. The blast also hit the cat which was still barring down on Doc. In a panic, Doc flung two unspent shells in Kitty's direction as he tried to move up the bank with the injured and more angered cat right behind him. Terror was awash over his face and his eyes were wide as he looked over his shoulder with the cat closing on him.
Kitty fought with the gun and finally opened it ejecting the two spent shells and quickly inserting the new ones. She took aim and fired. Her heart jumped at the sound. Then there was silence. The smoke lifted and she could see both Doc and the cat laying still on the river bank.