Billy's face was scratched slightly, and Joe's jacket was ripped.

Joe then seized the paw with both hands and tried to hold it.

The roof swayed and trembled and, for a moment, seemed about to fall; then the panther withdrew its paw, and the boys heard the creature leap off and bound away.
Hunters say that if a panther misses its first spring it will not try again.

That may sometimes be true; but in this case the panther went off a short distance among the trees and after a few minutes crept forward as if to spring again.

Terribly excited, the boys peered out at it and waited.