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Brand, Max, 1892-1944

"The Seventh Man"

I'll tell you the whole story. Lee packs a jinx with
him. But--Haines, did you ever see a lion as big as that?"
The dimness of evening had grown rapidly through the room while they talked
and now the light from the door was far less than the glow of the fire. The
yellow flicker picked out a dozen pelts stretching as rugs on the floor or
hanging along the wall; that to which Buck pointed was an enormous skin of
a mountain lion stretched sidewise, for if it had been hung straight up a
considerable portion of the tail must have dragged on the floor. Buck went
to examine it. Presently he exclaimed in surprise and he passed his fingers
over it as though searching for something.
"Where was it shot, Kate? I don't find nothin' but this cut that looks like
his knife slipped when he was skinnin'."
"It was a knife that killed it."
"What!"
"Don't ask me about it; I see the picture of it in my dreams still. The
lion had dragged the trap into a cave and Bart followed it. Dan went in
pushing his rifle before him, but--when he tried to fire it jammed.


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