Teddy gave up; he believed it was all over with him. Lying flat on
his face, he committed himself to heaven, and waited for the beast to
devour him.
Ugh! what a galvanic shudder shook him, as he heard its smothered bark
repeated, and felt its hideous nose glide along his body! He felt it
thrust beneath his breast, and then the beast gave a lunge, like a hog
when rooting, as if seeking to turn him over on his back.
“No; be the powers, you don’t,” muttered Teddy. “I’m not the chap
that’s goin’ to turn over and see mesilf ate up.”
So, instead of turning, he remained flat upon his face, sliding a few
inches over the ground.
With a low growl of rage the monster repeated the attempt, and his
victim resisted him as before.
Teddy O’Doherty was brave, almost to fearlessness, but this was
too much even for him; and, at that point, he swooned away into
unconsciousness.
He probably remained in that condition but a short time. When his
senses came back to him, he was lying on his back, with his face
upturned to the moon. For a few moments, he was naturally enough
bewildered, and he lay motionless until it all came back to him. Then
he half whispered.
“_I’m dead and ate up!_ how qu’ar it saams! I never knew it felt this
way. Yis, Teddy, you’re ate up!”
Gradually a doubt began to filter through his mind, and he moved his
hands about his person to see whether he was all there. His load of
provisions were shoved from his back, and lay to one side, while he
soon discovered that he was all there and had suffered no physical harm!
Yes; the consciousness finally came to the terrified Irishman that he
was still in the land of the living. There was not a wound or scratch
upon his person, nor had the food been disturbed, except by the mere
act of displacement.
“Begorrah, Teddy O’Doherty, but it’s your own mither’s son that ye be,”
he soliloquized, not a little delighted; “but it’s so different that ye
feel, that ye’ll have to have somebody to inthrodooce ye to yersilf. I
wonder ef that ould craythur is watching fur me.”
The Celt cautiously raised his head and looked about him. There was
nothing to be seen of the dreaded beast, look in whatever direction he
chose.
“Ef it wasn’t me that wasn’t me, but the baast, then it’s mesilf that
would be afther ating Teddy O’Doherty, and be the same towken that I
haven’t, I’m sartin the baast isn’t human,” concluded Teddy, as he
slowly clambered to his feet and furtively glanced about him.
“Thank the good Lord, and the Vargin, that I’m alive!” he exclaimed,
gratefully, as he began picking up his provisions again. “I s’pose the
craythur wasn’t hungry, and whin he was pokin’ his nose about me, it’s
likely that he was thrying to pick me pockets.”
Filled with wonder at his unaccountable escape from the monster, the
Celt begun his walk homeward again. He reached and passed up and over
the ridge without discovering any thing of his dreaded enemy. Turning
aside, he found his horse quietly grazing where he had left him, and,
deeming him as safe there as any where else, he permitted him to remain.
He was now within a short distance of the camp of his friends, and was
proceeding in his quiet manner, when a cold thrill ran through him at
the sound of that appalling bark.
Turning his head, he saw the beast on a full gallop, coming down the
ridge, and scarcely a hundred feet distant.
It was like the explosion of a bombshell behind Teddy, and he broke
into a wild run, bounding through the timber and up to the camp-fire
with the exclamations that have been recorded.
A horde of mounted Blackfeet, or a dozen grizzly bears, could not have
created greater consternation. Old Stebbins and Black Tom, as will be
remembered, had been conversing about the mysterious creature, and
their minds were full of it.
Instantly they leaped to their feet, and stared out in the gloom.
“Whar is he?” demanded Black Tom.
“Close behint me,” replied the terrified Irishman, running around to
the opposite side of the camp-fire.
“I don’t see him--b’ars and bufflers! thar he comes!”
Unconsciously the two trappers took their position side by side. They
had stood by each other in many fearful and dangerous scenes, and
neither would desert the other at this time.
As Tom spoke, both he and his companion caught sight of the hideous
brute, coming through the bushes straight toward them. It was walking
quite slowly, and at intervals gave forth that peculiar bark, which had
a strange, cavernous sound.
Viewed from the front, its appearance was appalling in the extreme.
Its head was of vast size, its mouth in latitude resembled that of the
alligator. As it advanced, the firelight shone full in its face, and
curiously enough neither of the hunters could discern any thing that
resembled eyes, although of course it was sentient.
Very naturally the two trappers had determined to send their messengers
into his eyes, satisfied that, if there was nothing superhuman in its
make, it could not prove invulnerable to such an attack; but they were
unexpectedly deprived of this great advantage, seeing which Black Tom
whispered to his companion:
“Aim under the throat, and maybe we’ll reach its heart.”
No more than a dozen feet separated men and beast, when the former
simultaneously drew their guns to their shoulders, took a quick but
sure aim and fired.
They might as well have buried their bullets in the solid oak beside
them, for all the good that was accomplished. That peculiar bark of the
brute may have been caused by the sound as well as by the bullet of the
gun.
It stood a moment, as if looking steadily at the men, and then resumed
its advance.
This was too much, and with a howl of terror the three men scattered
and were up the nearest saplings in a twinkling. Here they felt a
certain degree of safety, as it was hardly probable that such a
constructed creature could “climb a tree.”
“But if he chooses,” replied Teddy, from his perch in reply to this
remark, “he kin pull up the tree by its ruts, and crack our heads
togither.”
Finding himself master of the situation, the mysterious brute took
every thing very quietly. Teddy having fastened the meat to his back,
had not removed it upon climbing the tree, so that there was nothing on
the ground for it to devour; and the trappers were too veteran hunters
to fail to carry their weapons with them.
The camp-fire had just been heaped up with fuel, and was now roaring
and crackling furiously. The brute seemed to contemplate it a few
minutes in quiet wonderment, and then he sat down upon his haunches
like a bear, and looked fixedly at the blaze.
“Look at the spalpeen!” called out Teddy. “Did ye ever see sich
impudence. He looks as if he owned the grove and us too.”
“That’s jest ’bout what he does own,” replied Black Tom, with grim
humor.
“He reminds mesilf, whin I used to sit down in the pratie patch at
home, in Tipperary, and think I owned the whole of it, and so I would,
if it hadn’t been that anuther chap claimed it.”
During these few minutes, all three of the men had been reloading their
guns, as best they could in their circumscribed position. When ready it
was arranged that they should discharge their pieces together, at the
head of the monster.
This was done, and incredible as it may seem, without result. Struck it
undoubtedly was, for it gave a slight twitch with its head, as a dog
will do, when pestered with a fly, but it certainly was no more harmed
than it would have been by such an insect.
At so short a distance, with such a plain target, it would have been
impossible for the bullets to miss their mark, so that no refuge from
the difficulty could be taken in that supposition.
The brute sat motionless a moment, with his gaze upon the burning
faggots, and then rising from his sitting position, walked around
to the other side of the fire, and took his seat directly under the
sapling which was the refuge of Teddy O’Doherty.
“Ye dirthy blaguard, ye needn’t come there,” he growled, as he looked
down at him; “ye’re a dirthy dog, as me Bridget used to obsarve,
affectionately, when she saw me comin’ in her shanty av Soonday
avening.”
“He’s fell in love with you,” remarked Black Tom, who thought he
could afford to jest a little, so long as the brute made no active
demonstrations against him.
“I guess he’s turned watch-dog,” said Stebbins, “and is going to keep
the other spooks away.”
It may be stated that the demonstration which the trappers had just
received of the invulnerability of the mysterious creature was complete
in every respect. They would have staked any thing and every thing that
it could have stood without flinching before a battery of columbiads.
Under these circumstances, therefore, they did not deem it wise to
waste any more powder in firing upon it.
So they reserved their ammunition, and made themselves as comfortable
as possible in their elevated position, waiting until it should take it
into its head to depart.
“S’pose he stays here a week or two?” said Stebbins.
“Then we must do the same.”
“Why didn’t we think of the fire?” muttered Black Tom.
“What did yer want to think ’bout _that_?” asked old Stebbins.
“If he don’t care fur rifle-balls, it’s likely he’s afeard of that. If
I had only slammed a lot of fire in his face, he’d left.”
“Better not try it,” returned the elder.
“Why not?”
“’Tain’t noways likely it would have hurt him, and he might have
cotched you up and slammed you in the fire.”
This was a fearful supposition, and all three shuddered at the thought
of the brute venting his spite in such a manner.
As it was certain that nothing could be done in the way of vanquishing
the monster, the question now was as to how long he would remain. While
he was present, no one could entertain any idea of descending, and if
he should take it into his head to spend several days there, there
certainly was reason to fear the most serious consequences.
An hour passed and still the brute sat as motionless as a statue. Being
several yards from the camp-fire, its fitful light gave him a most
terrible appearance. The trio kept up a pointless conversation for a
long time, Teddy gradually withdrawing from it, until he became silent
altogether.
No notice was taken of this fact for some time, until suddenly Black
Tom became suspicious and called his name. Receiving no response, he
exclaimed, to old Stebbins:
“Bufflers and Blackfeet! he’s goin’ to sleep!”
“If he does he’s gone, sure. Wake him up!”
“Teddy! Teddy!” called Tom, “wake up, or you never will.”
“Aoogh! what--”
Too late. The Irishman, in his bewilderment, did not comprehend his
perilous position, and making an uneasy movement, lost his hold and
fell!
And fell in such a manner that he struck full length upon the back of
the frightful brute!
A shudder of horror shook the trappers, as they looked down upon what
they regarded the certain death of their comrade, who gave a shriek of
terror as he rolled like a log helpless to the ground.
The brute started, uttered his sharp, bark-like cry, and then bolted
away and vanished in the darkness, without offering to harm the man who
lay helpless at his feet.
“Begorra! but he’s a gintleman, as Micky Dunn obsarved of the man that
cracked his crown. That’s the sicind time he’s give me the go-by, and
the nixt time he does it we’ll shake hands and swear we’re friends.”
“It beats thunder!” exclaimed old Stebbins, who was now prepared to
believe Teddy’s account of his extraordinary meeting with this animal.
“It can’t be that he don’t eat men,” said Black Tom, “for Stumpy Sam
said he see’d it chaw up one of their men.”
“I guess he don’t like Irishmen.”
“It’s meself that thinks he does,” retorted Teddy, “for he’s tr’ated me
like a gintleman all the way through.”
“Ain’t yer going to climb up ag’in?” asked Tom.
“What’s the use, when it’s more comfortable here, as Micky McFee
remarked when he was axed to come out of the gutter.”
The Irishman made no attempt to re-climb the tree, although he looked
carefully about in every direction in quest of the dreaded creature.
Some fifteen minutes passed and nothing was seen or heard of their
dreaded foe, when the hunters, who were excessively hungry, cautiously
descended to the ground again.
The first thing done was to replenish the fire, and they determined
that if the brute should reappear, they would try the effect of dashing
some of the brands in his face.
The next proceeding was to attack the provisions which Teddy had
brought back with him, and with such ravenous appetites, they were not
long in “throwing themselves outside” of an immense quantity of food.
By this time night was well advanced, but there was no thought of sleep
upon the part of any one, excepting Teddy O’Doherty. He had acted as
sentinel the night before, and soon became drowsy and stupid.
As he was entitled to rest, he was permitted to stretch out near the
fire, with his blanket gathered about him, when he speedily sunk off
into utter unconsciousness.
There was some apprehension regarding the horses, and after a while
Tom stole away from the fire into the grove to see whether they had
been disturbed. Having cropped their full of the rich herbage they were
found asleep, as free from alarm as was the sleeping Teddy O’Doherty.
Added to the terror inspired by the very appearance of the dreaded
creature, was that of amazement at the unaccountable manner in which it
had acted toward the Irishman. Twice it had had him completely in its
power, and yet had not harmed a hair of his head.
Why was this? Was it possible that it had really formed a sort of
partiality toward Teddy? Such things have been known among wild
animals, but it was hardly possible in this case. What, then, could be
the explanation?
These were conundrums which the trappers asked themselves repeatedly,
and which as repeatedly they were compelled to “give up.”
The night wore gradually away, but nothing more was seen of the
terrible monster. The camp-fire was kept burning brightly, and the
hunters listened attentively for sounds that might betray his approach.
Once or twice a faint rustling of the leaves caused them to start and
look affrightedly out in the gloom, but they caught no glimpse of
the frightful beast. Accustomed as the hunters were to all manner of
exposure and deprivation of sleep and rest, they found no difficulty
in keeping their senses about them, even when their bodies were not in
motion.
It was a relief to them when the gray mist of morning began stealing
through the wood, and they saw the light of another day illuminating
wood and prairie.
They seemed to feel scarcely any desire for sleep, and Tom aroused
Teddy by giving him a vigorous kick.
“Come, git up! that beast is looking for you!”
“Let him look!” replied Teddy, as he roused himself. “As long as he
behaves himself so well I’ll be glad to see him.”
There remained enough of the provisions brought by Teddy to make a
substantial breakfast, after which the horses were brought up and
saddled, and in a short time the trappers were on their way toward the
north-west.
They had still a short distance to travel before reaching their
destination, and while they are thus engaged we will take occasion
to refer to a few matters necessary to a full understanding of the
incidents that follow.