Rob Harlow's Adventures Part 15

"That's right, sir; but keep one barrel always for play and one for work. I don't want to make too much of it, but in a country like this it must be dangerous sometimes."

"He is quite right, Rob," said Brazier. "He is giving you a lesson, but he means some of it for me. Don't you, Naylor?"

"Well, sir," said Shaddy grimly, "I s'pose you'd like the honest truth?"

"Of course."

"Then I'll tell you what I said to myself. How a gentleman at his time o' life could leave his weepun, as ought to be ready for action, without a good bullet for wild beast or Indian, I can't think."

"I have learned my lesson, Naylor," said Brazier, "and you shall not have an opportunity for reproaching me again."

"And you ain't offended, sir? In course I'm only like your servant."

"Give me credit for more sense, my man.--You take it to heart, too, both of you, and keep a bullet in your left-hand barrel."

"For food or enemy," said Shaddy in his deep growl.

"But that's what I meant to do. I thought I had loaded that way," said Rob.

"Hah--hoo!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed one of the Indians who was standing with his arms full of wood close to the spot where the jaguar had disappeared.

"What's the matter, my lad?" said Shaddy, joining him with the others, when an eager burst of conversation ensued.

"They say as the tiger's lying wounded not far in among the trees.

Bring your guns, gentlemen."

The pieces were eagerly raised and cartridges examined, so that there should be no further mistake, and then, with the Indian who was knocked down as a guide, Brazier next with Shaddy, who contented himself with his knife, and then Rob and Joe and the rest of the Indians, the party entered the forest, which was so dense that they soon had to take to Indian file.

But they had not far to go, and in spite of the danger that might be ahead the leading Indian proved that Shaddy's selection was a good one, for he went straight on, cutting right and left with his heavy knife to divide the growth that was in their way, and so on for about fifty yards, when he stopped short and said a few words to Shaddy.

"Yes. Get back," said the latter, after listening. "Now two guns forward; but I think he has had enough as it is?"

"Be careful, man!" said Brazier anxiously; "you are unarmed."

"Not quite, sir!" said Shaddy, showing his big knife. "If he jumps on me he'll jump right on to that point, and if he does, though he may claw me, it will be his last leap. Silence!"

They all listened, Rob hearing the shriek of some great parrot and the dull heavy throb of his heart, but from out of the dense growth a little way ahead he could make out a gurgling moan.

Shaddy gave him a look and a nod.

"No, my lad," he said, "that isn't a frog, nor anything else, but some animal as has got his death. It's either that tiger, or else it's a deer he has pulled down on his way. I'll go and see."

"Let me," said Brazier; "and if it is only wounded I can fire again."

"Powder and shot's valuable out here, sir," said Shaddy, "and we mustn't waste a single charge. Stand fast, and if I want help come and give it to me; but I shan't."

He parted the bushes and creepers with his left hand holding his knife well before him with the right; but before he had gone six yards with great caution there was a horrible cry, and a sound as of a struggle going on--a sound which made Rob press forward and thrust the barrel of his gun in front of Brazier.

"Has he got hold of Shaddy?" he panted, with a chill of horror running through him.

"No, my lad; I'm all right--it's all over," cried the guide, as the sound ceased. "Ah! I can see him plain now: quite dead."

"A deer?" said Brazier, eagerly.

"Deer don't make a noise like that, sir," said Joe from behind.

"Nay, it's no deer," said Shaddy; "I'll let you see what it is. Hi!" he called; and the Indians crowded past through the dense growth, went boldly right to the front, and Shaddy reappeared smiling.

"Back again," he said; "they'll bring him along."

Rob turned back unwillingly, for he was eager to see what the dead animal might be, Shaddy's mysterious manner suggesting the possibility of its being something extraordinary. But he followed the others out, the guide seeming to drive them all before him back into the open spot by the fire, while almost directly after the Indian boatmen appeared, half carrying, half dragging--each holding a paw--with his white under fur stained with blood--the great jaguar, perfectly dead.

"There," cried Shaddy, "now you can have your skin, sir; and you deserve it for those two shots."

"But I couldn't have--" began Rob.

"But you did, sir," said Shaddy, who was down on his knees by the beautiful animal. "Here you are: face and head all full of small shot, and down here right in the loins--yes: back regularly broken by a bullet. Your piece was loaded proper after all."

"A splendid shot, Rob," cried Brazier, and Joe patted his back.

"But it was quite an accident," said Rob, excitedly.

"Accident?" growled Shaddy. "If you shot at a man in England and killed him, do you think the judge would say it was an accident?"

"Well, no," said Rob, laughing.

"'Course not. Splendid shot, as the captain says. So now let's finish our bit of eating and have a nap while my chaps here takes off the skin."

CHAPTER EIGHT.

HIDDEN DANGERS.

It did not take the lads long to finish the interrupted meal, seated in the shade of a magnificent tree, one side of which sent out branches and pensile boughs laden with leaf and flower from the summit almost to the ground, while the other side was comparatively bare, so closely was it placed to the dense crowd of its fellows whose limbs were matted together and enlaced with creepers of endless variety, out from which the sheltering tree stood like a huge, green, smoothly rounded b.u.t.tress, formed by nature to support the green wall which surrounded her forest fastness.

As soon as they had eaten their meal the two lads hurried off to where the boatmen were deftly skinning the great cat-like creature,--rather a disgusting operation, but one full of interest, as limb after limb was cut down right to the toes and the skin stripped away, to show the tremendous muscles and sinews which enabled the animal to bound like lightning upon its prey.

"Seems a pity to waste so much good, fresh meat when a bit would be welcome, eh?" said Shaddy, with a grim smile.

"Would you like to eat some of it?" asked Joe.

Shaddy shook his head.

"No," he said, "I should as soon think of roasting a tom-cat at home and calling it hare. Rum thing it seems, though, that those creatures which live upon one another should be rank and nasty, while those which eat fruit and green-stuff should be good. Keep your guns ready, my lads.

It's very quiet here, and you may get a shot at something good for the supper to-night: some big pigeons, or a turkey, or--I'll tell you, though; I can hear 'em rustling about in the trees now. They'll be easy, too, for a shot."

"What? Parrots?"