The cry, which thrilled Rob and made Brazier and the young Italian seize
their weapons, came from one of the Indians, who, axe in hand, had been
about to cut up a dead bough he had seized for the fire, when something
dark struck him in the chest, sending him backward amongst the low
growth, and a magnificent cat-like animal bounded into the middle of the
opening, driving the boatmen among the trees and taking up its position
in the bright sunshine, with its coat glistening and the brown spots on
its tawny hide shining with almost metallic lustre.
And there it stood, with its ears lowered and eyes blazing, looking from
one to another of the occupants of the boat, and from them to Shaddy,
who leaped ashore knife in hand, while the brute's tail writhed and
twisted as if it were a serpent.
"Hadn't one of you better shoot?" said Shaddy calmly. "He's, too much
for me with only a knife."
Just then the Indian who had been knocked down began to crawl cautiously
toward the trees.
The movement was enough for the jaguar. It was the cat again that has
stricken down a mouse standing perfectly careless till the unfortunate
little animal begins to stir. The fierce beast turned, gathered itself
together, and was about to launch itself upon the boatman in one
tremendous bound, when simultaneously there was a sharp click from
Brazier's gun, but with no further result, for he had drawn the trigger
of his rifled barrel in which there was no cartridge, and a sharp stab
on the loins as Shaddy hurled his knife with unerring aim at the savage
beast.
The jaguar turned with a fierce snarl and struck the knife from where it
stuck in its back. Then, seeing in Shaddy its assailant, it crouched
again to bound upon the guide.
Once again its aim was spoiled; for with fingers trembling Rob had
cocked his piece and taken aim, being about to fire when the knife was
thrown; but the rapid movement of the animal checked him till it
crouched and he saw it about to spring upon Shaddy.
This time he pressed the stock firmly to his shoulder, and, taking aim
at the jaguar's head, fired twice, the first charge taking effect full
in the creature's back, and, as it sprang up, the second in its flank.
With a fierce howl it twisted itself round and bit at the side, tearing
out the glossy fur in its rage and pain. Then turning sharply it looked
round for its assailant, when Joe's piece rang out, the bad powder with
which it was heavily loaded making a cloud of dense smoke which
prevented Rob from seeing for a few moments, and when it rose the jaguar
had gone.
They all busied themselves reloading now, but there was no animal to
shoot, and Shaddy picked up his knife, wiping its point carefully on his
trousers as he straightened himself.
"Which way did it go?" cried Brazier.
"Yonder, sir, through the trees. But it's of no use for you to follow."
"It must be dangerously wounded."
"Not it, sir; only a bit tickled. That was only bird shot you fired,
was it, my lads?"
"Number 5," said Rob promptly.
"Thought so. Best keep a bullet always in your guns, gentlemen, out
here, for you never know what's going to turn up next."
The Indians were back now, going about picking wood for the fire as if
nothing whatever had happened.
"But that man," whispered Rob; "isn't he hurt--clawed?"
"No, sir," replied Shaddy calmly; and he asked a question of the man in
the mixed Indian tongue. Then turning to Brazier, "Only got the wind
knocked, out of him a bit, sir. No clawing. He don't mind."
"But the brute may come back," said Rob.
"Well, Mr Rob, sir, if he do he's a bigger fool than I take him to be.
No, there'll be no coming back about him. Just while he was up he was
ready to fly at anything, but every one of them little shot will make a
sore place which it will take him a fortnight to lick quite well again.
I daresay they're all lying just under his skin."
"And what a skin!" cried Rob. "You could have got it off and cured it
for me, couldn't you?"
"Oh yes, or these chaps here, sir; but if you wants tiger jackets you
mustn't try to kill them as wears 'em with Number 5 shot.--Now, lads,
more wood," and a good fire was soon burning, over which the kettle was
hung.
A meal was quickly prepared, but Shaddy indulged in a bit of a growl
over it.
"And me 'specting pork chops frizzled over that fire on the iron sheet,"
he said. "Why it wouldn't have been no good, my lad, going about with a
pinch of lead snuff in your gun. You want something like small marbles
out here, I can tell you, or good buck shot. You'll mind that next
time."
"But I want to get some of the birds we see," said Rob, in tones of
remonstrance.
"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!" ejaculated 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."