“It’s all right, dears!  There’s no danger now!” called Ruth, as she sped toward them.

Alice paused but a moment to look at the individual who had in such timely and effective fashion come to the rescue.  She saw a tall, gaunt man, attired in ragged clothes, bending forward with ready rifle, to be prepared to take a second shot if necessary.

“I don’t reckon he’ll bother any one no more,” said this man, with a satisfied chuckle, as he leaned on his gun, the butt of which he dropped to the ground.  “I got him right in the head.”

“Oh—­we—­we can’t thank you enough!” gasped Alice.  “The—­the children—­” but her voice choked, and she could not speak.

“Wa’al, I reckon he might have clawed ’em a bit,” admitted the man with the gun.  “And perhaps it’s jest as well I come along when I did.  You folks live around here?  Don’t seem like I’ve met you befo’.”

“We’re a company of moving picture actresses and actors,” explained Alice, while Ruth, making a detour to avoid the dead body of the animal, went to Tommy and Nellie, who were still holding on to each other.

“Picture-players; eh?” mused the hunter, for such he evidently was.  “I seen a movin’ picture once, and it looked as real as anything.  Be you folks on that steamer?”

“The Magnolia—­yes,” answered Alice, as her sister led the children up to her.

“You’re all right now, dearies,” said Ruth.  “The nice man killed the bad bear.”

“Excuse me, Miss; but that ain’t a bear,” said the hunter, with a pull at his ragged cap that was meant for a bow.  “It’s a bobcat—­mountain lion some folks calls ’em—­and I don’t know as I ever saw one around this neighborhood before.  Mostly they’re farther to the no’th.  This must be a stray one.”

“Oh, but it might have killed us all if you had not been here,” Ruth went on.

“Oh, no, Miss, beggin’ your pardon.  It wouldn’t have been as bad as that.  Most-ways these bobcats would rather run than fight.  I reckon if it had seen you young ladies it would have run.”

“Are we as scary as all that?” asked Alice, with a nervous little laugh.

“Oh, no, Miss.  I didn’t mean it that way at all,” said the man.  “I beg your pardon, I’m sure.  But a bobcat won’t hardly ever attack a grown person, unless it’s cornered.  I reckon this one must have been riled about suthin’ and thought to claw up the tots a bit.  I happened to be around, so I jest natcherally plunked him—­beggin’ your pardon for mentionin’ the matter.”

“It was awfully good of you,” murmured Ruth, who had Tommy’s and Nellie’s hands now.

“Won’t you tell us who you are?” asked Alice, as she introduced herself and her sister.

“Who—­me?  Oh, I’m Jed Moulton,” replied the hunter.  “I’m an alligator hunter by callin’.  But they’re gittin’ a bit scarce now, so I’m on the move.”

“I wish you’d come back and meet our friends,” suggested Ruth.  “Mrs. Maguire, the children’s grandmother, will want to thank you for what you have done.”