The Boy Hunters Part 17

"No, no," exclaimed Basil and Lucien, in a breath, "I--I."

It was finally agreed that Basil should take the watch for a couple of hours or so--until he became sleepy--when he was to awake and be relieved by Lucien; who, in his turn, could arouse Francois. This being arranged, the two latter wrapped themselves in their blankets and lay down again, while Basil sat alone, now gazing into the fire, and then into the gloomy darkness beyond.

Both Lucien and Francois, notwithstanding the declaration of the latter, were soon snoring like a brace of tops. They had had an early awaking by the bear-sc.r.a.pe of the previous morning; besides, they had been at work all day, and were wearied. This they must have been, to have gone to sleep with such a discordant howling around them--enough to have kept an opium-eater awake. Basil was wearied as well as they; and he soon began to feel what a painful thing it is to keep awake when one is sleepy. The eyes of the wolves continued to glare upon him from all sides; but he did not dread them any more, than if they had been so many hares. There appeared to be a very large pack of them though. The odoriferous bear-meat had, no doubt, collected all there were for miles around--in addition to numbers that had been following the trail for days past. As Basil watched them, he saw they were growing bolder, and gradually approaching nearer. At length, some of them came upon the spot, where lay the bones of the bear at some distance out from the fire. These they attacked at once; and through the dim light Basil could see them rus.h.i.+ng from all quarters to come in for a share. He could hear the bones cracking under their teeth, and could see them struggling and worrying the skeleton and each other in a moving ma.s.s.

This soon ended. The bones were sc.r.a.ped clean in a twinkling; and the wolves now left them, and scattered over the ground as before.

"Come," soliloquised Basil, "I must have more light; they may steal a march upon me;" and he rose up and threw several armfuls of wood upon the fire, which soon blazed up again, reflecting the yellow eyes of the wolves in dozens of pairs all around him. This helped to brighten Basil a little, and keep him awake; but he sat down again by the fire, and soon became drowsy as before. Every now and then he caught himself nodding; and, each time, as he shook himself awake, he noticed that the wolves had ventured nearer to the bear-meat. He could easily have shot any one of them, and thus drive them off for a time; but he did not wish either to waste his ammunition, or startle his companions.

As he sat cogitating how he would best keep awake, an idea came into his head, which caused him to leap to his feet, as if he intended to execute some purpose.

"I have it now," said he to himself, placing his rifle against a tree.

"I'll get a good nap yet in spite of these filthy yelpers. Strange we didn't think of the plan before."

He took up a la.s.so, and, proceeding to the barbecue, which was close by, commenced laying all the pieces of bear-meat on one end of the rope.

This did not occupy him long; and, when he had bundled all and looped them securely together, he flung the other end of the la.s.so over a high branch, until it hung down so that he could reach it. He now pulleyed up the meat--until it was ten feet or more from the ground--and then fastened his rope to a log.

"Now, gentlemen," muttered he, fancifully addressing the wolves, "you may prowl about and howl till your throats are sore, but you don't keep me five minutes longer from my rest--that you don't."

So saying, he laid himself down, and commenced wrapping himself in his blankets.

"Ha!" he continued, as he caught a glimpse of several of the animals running forward and looking upwards at the swinging meat; "Ha!

Messieurs Loups, don't you wish you may get it? Ha! ha! ha! Good night!"

So speaking and laughing, he stretched himself alongside his brothers, and in five minutes' time was snoring as loudly as either of them.

But Basil, with all his craft, was not so cunning upon the present occasion as he thought himself--not half so cunning as the wolves, whom he believed he had outwitted. The latter, seeing that he had gone to sleep, boldly drew nearer and nearer, until scores of them covered the spot over which hung the meat. Here they ran about, tumbling over each other, and all looking upward. They remained silent, however, lest they might awake the sleepers. Some sat quietly on their hams with eyes fixed on the tempting morsel, but not making any effort to get at it, as they knew it was beyond their reach. These were, no doubt, the older and wiser ones. Others kept trying their prowess in lofty leaping; but, although the most active of them could get their noses within a few inches of the meat, it only tantalised them the more. One, however, who seemed the best jumper of the pack, at last succeeded in s.n.a.t.c.hing a small piece that hung lower than the main bunch. He was immediately set upon as soon as he had touched the ground, and chased and worried by the rest, until he was glad to drop the morsel to save himself. His success, however, emboldened others to try; and they went on springing upward as before--but to no purpose.

A new idea, however, seemed now to have got into the heads of the older ones; they who up to this time had sat looking on. Several of these ran towards the log, where the la.s.so was tied; and, seizing the latter in their teeth, commenced gnawing it! It did not take them long to accomplish their purpose. In less than two minutes' time, the heavy ma.s.s came down with a dead sound upon the shoulders of one of the pack, causing him to howl fearfully!

Marengo, who had been alert all this time, now growled louder than ever; and the combined noises awoke the three sleepers. Basil saw what it was; and, starting up, seized his rifle and ran forward, followed by Francois and Lucien.

All three dashed in among the wolves, firing their pieces as they ran, and then rus.h.i.+ng on them with "clubbed" guns. The animals, of course, took to their heels, and scattered in every direction; but some of them, in their flight, did not fail to carry off choice pieces of the bear-meat. Two were killed by the rifle-bullets; and a third--which Francois had peppered with shot--was overtaken and worried to death by Marengo.

The meat was soon gathered up; and Basil, who though somewhat chagrined was still confident of his plan, once more looped it in the la.s.so, and pulleyed it up. This time, however, he tied the end of his rope to the high branch of a tree; and as the wolves are not tree-climbers, all felt certain that, cunning as these creatures are, they could not reach it thus secured.

After throwing more wood upon the fire, the three brothers again took to their blankets, expecting that nothing would occur to disturb them before the morning.

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

THE CIRCLE OF FIRE.

That expectation, however, was a vain one. Poor lads! they little thought what was before them. Their nerves were to be tried still farther, and by as severe a test as they had yet endured. The wolves howled fearfully around the camp, and their eyes still shone through the gloom. But this would not have kept the boys from sleeping, had their attention not been called to another sound--the voice of a far different creature. They heard it amidst the howlings of the wolves, and knew it at once, for it resembled not these. It was more like the squalling of an angry cat, but far louder, fiercer, and more terrible. _It was the scream of the cougar_!

I say that the young hunters recognised the voice of this animal at once--for they had heard it while hunting in the forests of Louisiana, although they had never been exposed to its attack. From ample testimony, however, they knew its power and fierce nature; and were, therefore, terrified by its scream--as men of strongest nerves had often been before them.

When its cry first reached their ears, it appeared feeble and distant-- not louder than the mewing of a kitten. The animal was evidently far off in the forest. They knew, however, that it could soon traverse the ground that lay between it and their camp. They listened. A second scream sounded nearer. They sprang to their feet, and listened again.

A third call appeared more distant. This, however, arose from a misconception on their part. They forgot that their _ears were now farther from the ground_.

They stood a moment gazing on each other with looks of terror and apprehension. What was to be done?

"Shall we mount our horses and fly?" asked Basil.

"We know not what way to go," suggested Lucien. "We may ride right into its teeth!"

This was likely enough; for it is a singular fact that the scream of the cougar, like the roar of the lion, seems to come from any or every side.

It is difficult to tell in what direction the animal is who utters it.

Whether this illusion be produced by the terror of the listener is a question yet unsolved.

"What can we do?" said Basil. "Taking to a tree is of no use. These animals can climb like squirrels. What can we do?"

Lucien stood silent, as if considering.

"I have read," said he, at length, "that the cougar will not cross fire.

It is the case with most animals, although _there are exceptions_. Let us try that. Hus.h.!.+ Listen!"

All three remained silent. Again the cougar uttered his wild note, still far off.

"You hear," continued Lucien; "he is distant yet. Perhaps he is not coming this way. It is best, however, to be prepared while we have time. Let us try the _circle of fire_!"

Both Basil and Francois understood what their brother meant. All three flung down their rifles and, rus.h.i.+ng among the trees, collected dry wood in armfuls. Fortunately, this was in abundance near the spot. Some dead trees had fallen long ago; and their branches, breaking into pieces as they fell, covered the ground with numerous fragments just fit for firewood. In the large pile already blazing, there was no lack of kindling stuff; and in a few minutes a complete circle of fires, almost touching one another, burnt upon the ground.

The boys had lost no time, working as if for their lives. It was well they did so; for the voice of the cougar, that they had heard at intervals, each time growing louder, now echoed through the aisles of the forest, drowning all other sounds. Strange to say, the howling of the wolves suddenly ceased, and these creatures were no longer to be heard. But there were other sounds audible--the stamping and snorting of the terrified horses. The young hunters, up to this time, had not thought of the safety of these poor animals. It was now too late to relieve them--the cougar was within a hundred yards of the camp!

All three, along with Marengo, placed themselves within the _circle of fire_. Fortunately, there was no wind--not a breath--and the smoke rose vertically upward, leaving them a breathing s.p.a.ce within. There they stood, guns in hand. Around them the fires blazed and crackled; but above the snapping of the knots, and the hiss of the spurting piping tree gas, could be heard the wild cry of the cougar! It now became evident on what side the animal was; for, as the young hunters peered through the smoke and blaze, they could distinguish the yellow cat-like body, moving to and fro under the hanging meat. The rounded head, the long hollow back, the smooth tawny skin, were not to be mistaken. As if to add to their terrible situation, the boys now saw that _not one, but a pair_, of these fearful creatures were upon the ground, moving backward and forward, pa.s.sing each other, and looking eagerly up at the meat where it hung.

It now occurred to the hunters what an oversight they had made, in not cutting down the meat. Had they done so, the cougars would no doubt have devoured it, and moved off after satisfying their hunger. Alas! it was too late for such a thought.

For several minutes the animals continued to walk backward and forward, eagerly eyeing the tempting object above them. Several times they sprang up, as if to seize it; but their efforts fell far short, and they desisted. One of them now ran up the tree, to which the la.s.so was fastened. His claws could be heard rattling upon the bark as he sprang upward. He first climbed to the branch over which the bear-meat hung.

This he shook with violence, looking downward, to see if the suspended object would fall. Disappointed, he left this after a time, and came down to the other branch, where the la.s.so was tied in a knot. Here he again seized the rope in his claws, and shook it with violence, but with a like result. Although he had the advantage of the wolves in being able to climb the tree, he had not _their_ cunning, else he would soon have let the meat down, by cutting the rope with his teeth. This idea, however, belonged to a higher development of brain than his; and, after seizing the la.s.so several times, and shaking it as before, he returned to the ground to his mate, who had sat all the while watching his manoeuvres.

These efforts to reach the meat occupied nearly an hour. During all that time the boys stood within the _circle of fire_, in the most distressing situation. They were half-roasted by the heat, that had been all along increasing, as the black logs burned into red embers.

They had made their circle _too small_; and they stood as in the midst of a fiery furnace!

The smoke had partially cleared away, and they could witness every movement of the cougars; but the terrible heat that oppressed them had almost conquered their fear of these animals; and little would now have tempted them to rush forth and battle with them. The perspiration ran from every pore, and their guns felt like bars of hot iron!

"I can stand it no longer," cried Basil; "let us fire at them, rush out, and take our chance."

"Patience, brother," replied Lucien. "One moment longer. Perhaps they may go away."

As Lucien spoke, the cougars, who had now given up the bear's meat, stealthily approached the fire. They crept forward like cats, when stealing upon their prey. At intervals they uttered a strange sound, like the low cough of a person in consumption. They gave forth another sound, which fell equally strange upon the ears of the hunters. It resembled the purring of a cat when caressed; but was much louder, and, in the forest, now silent, could be heard at a considerable distance.

It was too plainly heard by those who were near. Both uttered it, as if to encourage one another in their approach; and they kept crawling on, waving their tails as they advanced. When within a few feet of the fire, they stopped, and laid themselves almost flat along the ground-- yet evidently prepared to spring forward at any moment. It was a terrible sight to look upon these fierce creatures as they lay. The light of the great fire made every part of them fearfully apparent.

Their claws, their teeth, half uncovered, and even the bright irides of their s.h.i.+ning eyes were seen distinctly. But they looked not half so fearful as at first. The young hunters now contemplated them from a different point of view. They were suffering where they stood, so fearfully, that there seemed no danger beyond that hot circle of fire-- not even from the claws of a cougar!

"I shall stand it no longer," cried Basil. "We'll be roasted outright.

You, brothers, take that one, I'll aim at this--so--now--fear not-- fire!"