"I do like a good fire, Joe," said Rob, as he gazed at the ruddy flames
rushing up.
"Why, you're not cold?"
"No, I'm hot, and this fire brings in a breeze and makes it cooler--on
one side. But what I like in a fire of this kind is that you can burn
as much wood as you like, and nobody can say it's waste, because it's
doing good--clearing the ground for the trees around to grow. I say,
look at the birds."
"After supper," said Joe, as he watched the actions of the principal
boatman, who was head cook, busily preparing the ducks and two
good-sized fish which they had caught by trailing a bait behind the boat
as they came.
"Yes, I'm hungry," said Rob. "What's that?"
"It was Shaddy."
"What! tumbled in?" said Rob excitedly.
"No; he took hold of a thick piece of branch and threw it into the
water. What did you do that for?"
"Scare them 'gators, my lad. There's a whole school of 'em out there,
and I think they mean coming to supper. And fish too," he added, as
there was another splash and then another.
By this time he was close alongside of the boat, under whose tent Mr
Brazier was busy by the light of a lanthorn making notes and lists of
the flowers and orchid bulbs which he had secured that day.
"Hadn't we better put out a line, Shaddy? If we caught a fish or two
the men would be glad of them in the morning."
"No, Mr Rob, sir; I don't suppose they'd bite now, and even if they
did, so sure as you hooked one a smiler would get hold of it, and you
don't want another fight of that sort. I'm beginning to think that we'd
best get our bit o' food, and then drop slowly down the river again."
"What's that?" said Brazier, looking up from his work. "That will not
do, Naylor; we should miss no end of good plants."
"Well, sir, better do that than get into a row with any of the natives
here," growled Shaddy.
"Why, you said there were no Indians near."
"Tchah! I mean the other natives--'sects and rept'les and what not.
But there, if we put a rope to the end of that largest tree and anchor
ourselves yonder I don't suppose we shall hurt. Eh? All right," he
cried, in answer to a hint from the men; "supper's ready, gentlemen."
"And so are we," said Rob with alacrity; and he leaped off the gunwale
on to the tree trunk by whose side it was moored.
To all appearance it was a solid-looking stem of tons in weight, but
covered with mosses, creepers, and orchids, which pretty well hid its
bark.
Rob's intention was to run along it to the root end, which stood up
close to the fire; but, to his intense astonishment, he crashed through
what was a mere outer shell of bark into so much dust and touchwood
right up to the armpits, where he stuck, with a hedge of plants
half-covering his face.
Joe burst out into a fit of laughing, in which Rob joined as soon as the
first startled sensation was over.
"Who'd have thought of that?" he cried. "But, I say, I'm fast. Come
and lend me a hand. I thought it was a great solid trunk, and all
inside here you can see it looks as if it were on fire. Oh! oh! Ah!
Help!"
"What's the matter?" cried Brazier excitedly, as Shaddy and he stepped
cautiously to the boy's side, Joe having already mounted on the tree
trunk. "Not on fire, are you?"
"No, no," gasped Rob in agonised tones; and, speaking in a frightened
whisper, "There's something alive in here."
"Nippers o' some kind, eh?"
"No, no," cried Rob faintly; "I can feel it moving. Oh! help! It's a
snake."
As he spoke there was a curious scuffling noise inside, as if something
was struggling to extricate itself, and Shaddy lost no time. Bending
down, he seized Rob by the chest under the armpits, stooped lower, gave
one heave, and lifted him right out; when, following close upon his
legs, the head of a great serpent was thrust up, to look threateningly
round for a moment. The next, the creature was gliding down through the
dense coating of parasitical growth, and before gun could be fetched
from the cabin, or weapon raised, the rustling and movement on the side
of the trunk had ceased, and Joe in turn gave a bound to one side.
"It's coming along by here," he cried, as, in full belief that he would
the next moment be enveloped in the monster's coils, he made for the
fire.
"Where is it now?" cried Shaddy, knife in hand.
"The grass is moving there," said Brazier, pointing a little to the
right, where the tree trunks cast a deep shadow.
"Can't see--so plaguey dark," growled the guide; "and it's no good if I
could. Yes, I can see the stuff moving now. He's making for the water.
Now, sir, send a charge o' shot where the grass is waving."
But before Brazier could get a sight of the reptile it had glided into
the river, down among the branches of the fallen tree, as if quite used
to the intricate tangle of pointed wood beneath the bank, and accustomed
to use it for a home of refuge, or lurking place from which to strike at
prey.
"Did it seize you?" said Brazier excitedly.
"No, I only felt it strike against my leg and then press it to the side.
I think I trod upon it."
"Made its home, I suppose, in the hollow tree. But you are sure you are
not hurt, my boy--only frightened?"
"I couldn't help being frightened," said Rob, in rather an ill-used
tone.
"Nobody says you could," said Brazier, laughing. "Master Giovanni seems
to have been frightened too. Why, Rob, my lad, it would have almost
frightened me into fits: I have such a horror of serpents. There, I
believe after all these things are not so very dangerous."
"Don't know so much about that, sir," said Shaddy. "I've know'd 'em
coil round and squeeze a deer to death, and then swallow it."
"Yes, a small deer perhaps; but the old travellers used to tell us about
mighty boas and monstrous anacondas which could swallow buffaloes."
"Ah! they don't grow so big as that now, sir. I've seen some pretty big
ones, too, in my time, specially on the side of the river and up the
Amazons."
"Well, how big--how long have you ever seen one, Naylor?"
"Never see one a hundred foot long," said Shaddy drily.
"No, I suppose not. Come, what was the largest?"
"Largest I ever see, sir, was only the skin, as I telled Mr Rob about.
Some half-caste chaps had got it pegged out, and I dessay skinning had
stretched it a bit."
"Well, how long was that, Naylor?"
"That one was twenty-six foot long, sir, and nine foot across; and you
may take my word for it as a thing like that, all muscles like iron--say
six-and-twenty foot long and bigger round than a man--would be an
awkward customer to tackle. Big enough for anything."
"Quite, Naylor."
"But how big was this one, do you think?" said Rob, who was getting over
the perturbation caused by his adventure.
"Well, my lad, seeing what a bit of a squint I had of it, I should say
it were thirteen or fourteen foot--p'raps fifteen."
"I thought it was nearer fifty," said Rob.
"Yes, you would then, my lad. But, never mind, it didn't seize you. I
dessay you scared it as much as it did you."
"You will not be able to eat any supper, Rob, I suppose?" said Brazier
rather maliciously.
Rob looked doubtful, but he smiled; and they went to the clearest place
they could find, but not without sundry misgivings, for another tree
sheltered them from the fire, which now sent forth a tremendous heat,
and a cloud of golden sparks rose eddying and circling up to a dense
cloud of smoke which glowed as if red-hot where it reflected the flames.
This huge trunk, like the one through which Rob had slipped, was coated
with parasitical growth, and though apparently solid, might, for all
they knew, be hollow, and the nesting-place of half a dozen serpents
larger than the one they had seen.
"Hadn't we better shift our quarters?" said Brazier.
"Yes, do," said Joe eagerly; "I hate snakes."
"Nobody's going to jump through that tree and 'sturb 'em, so I don't
s'pose they'll 'sturb us. You see, they're a curious kind o' beast,
which is all alive and twine for a day or two till they get a good meal,
and then they go to sleep for a month before they're hungry again. It's
wonderful how stupid and sleepy they are when they're like this. It
takes some one to jump on 'em to rouse 'em up, like Mr Rob did."
"Well, we must chance it," said Brazier; and they seated themselves to
their _al fresco_ supper, over which Rob forgot his fright--his appetite
returning, and the novelty of the position making everything delightful,
in spite of the discomfort of their seat. For all around was so new,
and there was a creepy kind of pleasure in sitting there by that
crackling fire eating the delicious, hot, juicy birds, and all the while
listening to the weird chorus of the forest, now in full swing.
Rob paused in the picking of a tasty leg, deliciously cooked, and sat in
a very unpolished way listening to the curious cries, when, raising his
eyes, they encountered Brazier's, who was similarly occupied.
"We've come to a wild enough place, Rob, my lad," he said; "but I don't
think we wish to change."
"Oh! no," said Rob, in a whisper. "One can't help being a bit
frightened sometimes, but it is grand even if we see nothing more."
Shaddy uttered a low, jerky sound, which was meant for a laugh.
"See nothing more, lad!" he cried. "Why, look here, you may go hundreds
of miles to the south, the west and the north, and it's all savage land
that man has hardly ever crossed. Don't you think there's something
more to be seen there? Why, who knows but what we may come upon strange
wild beasts such as nobody has ever set eyes on before, and--Why, what's
the matter with our young skipper?"
Joe was opposite to him, staring wildly, his eyelids so drawn back that
he showed a circle of white around the irises, and his lips were apart
from his teeth.
"Why, what's the matter, lad? They haven't put any poison stuff in your
victuals, have they?"
Joe made no reply, but sat staring wildly still, not at Shaddy, but in
the direction of the river beyond.
"What's the matter, my lad?" said Brazier.
"I know!" cried Shaddy; "where's your guns? It's them 'gators coming up
out of the water, and it's what I expected."
"No, no," whispered the boy excitedly: "look lower!"
All followed his pointing finger, but for the moment they could see
nothing, one of the men having thrown some fresh fuel upon the fire,
which was emitting more smoke than blaze.
"Hi! one of you!" cried Shaddy, "stir that fire."
One of the men seized the end of a burning limb, shook it about a
little, and a roar of flame ascended skyward, lighting up the river and
the trees beyond, but above all, striking just upon the rotten trunk
through which Rob fell. There they saw a something glistening and
horrible, as it swayed and undulated and rose and fell, with its neck
all waves and its eyes sparkling in the golden blaze of the fire. Now
it sank down till it was almost hidden among the parasitic plants; now
it slowly rose, arching its neck, and apparently watching the party near
the fire; while moment by moment its aspect was so menacing that Joe
thought it would launch itself upon them and seize one to appease its
rage.
"It's--it's come back!" he whispered faintly.
"Not it," growled Shaddy; "this one's twice as big as t'other. It's its
father or mother, p'r'aps. Better have a shot at it, sir."
"Yes," said Brazier, slowly raising his gun, "but this light is so
deceptive I am not at all sure that I can hit."
"Oh, you'll hit him full enough," said Shaddy. "You must hit it, sir.
Why, if you missed, the beast would come down upon us as savage as a
tiger. Take a good, quiet aim down low so as to hit his neck, if you
don't his head. Are you cocked?"
"Tut! tut!" muttered Brazier, who in his excitement had forgotten this
necessary preliminary, and making up for the omission.
"Come, Mr Rob, sir, don't miss your chance of having a shot at a
'conda. 'Tain't everybody who gets such a shot as that."
Rob mechanically picked up his piece, examined the breech, and then
waited for Mr Brazier to fire, feeling sure the while that if it
depended upon him the creature would go off scathless.
"Now's your time, sir!" whispered Shaddy. "He is put out, and means
mischief. I'd let him have the small shot just beneath the jaws, if I
could. Wait a moment, till he's quiet. Rather too much waving about
him yet. Look out, sir! he's getting ready to make a dart at us, I do
believe!"
But still Brazier did not fire, for the peculiar undulatory motion kept
up by the serpent, as seen by the light of the fire, was singularly
deceptive, and again and again the leader of the little expedition felt
that if he fired it would be to miss.
Shaddy drew in a long breath, and gazed impatiently at Brazier, who was
only moved by one idea--that of making a dead shot, to rid their little
camp of a horrible-looking enemy.
Then the chance seemed to be gone, for by one quick movement of the
lithe body and neck the head dropped down amongst the plants which
clothed the tree trunk.
"Gone!" gasped Rob, with a sigh of satisfaction.
"Eyes right!" cried Shaddy; "he hasn't gone. He'll rise close in
somewhere. Look out, gentlemen--look out!"
He was excited, and drew his knife, as if expecting danger. And it was
not without cause, for almost directly after the keen steel blade had
flashed in the light of the fire, the hideous head of the serpent rose
up not ten feet away, with its eyes glittering, the scales burnished
like bright, many-shaded bronze, and the quick, forked tongue darting in
and out from its formidable jaws.
The head kept on rising till it was fully six feet above the growth,
when it was rapidly drawn back, as if to be darted forward; but at that
moment both Rob and Brazier fired together, and as the smoke cleared
away another cloud of something seemed to be playing about on the
ground, but a solid cloud, before which everything gave way, while some
great flail-like object rapidly beat down plant and shrub.
All shrank away, and, as if moved by one impulse, took refuge behind the
roaring fire, feeling, as they did, that their dangerous visitor would
not attempt to pass that in making an attack upon those sheltered by so
menacing an outwork.
There was something terribly appalling in the struggles of the silent
monster, as it writhed and twisted itself into knots; then unfolded with
the rapidity of lightning, and waving its tail in the air, again beat
down the bushes and luxuriant growth around.
That it was fearfully wounded was evident, for after a few moments all
could plainly see that it was actuated by a blind fury, and in its agony
vented its rage upon everything around. And as it continued its
struggles, moment by moment it approached nearer to the blazing fire,
till all stood waiting in horror for the moment when one of its folds
would touch the burning embers and the struggles come to a frightful
end.
But all at once the writhings ceased, and the reptile lay undulating and
heaving gently among the dense beaten-down growth.
"Stop!" said Brazier sharply, as the guide moved; "what are you going to
do?"
"Put him out of his misery," replied Shaddy, quietly. "Hi! you there:
give me the axe."
"No," said Brazier, firmly, "it is too risky a task; you shall not
attempt it."
Shaddy uttered a low growl, like some thwarted animal, and said, in an
ill-used tone,--
"Why, I could fetch his head off with one good chop, and--"
"Look, look!" cried Joe. "Mind! Take care!"
"Yes," shouted Rob; "it's coming round this way."
Neither could see the reptile; but the swaying herbage and the rustling,
crackling sound showed that it was in rapid motion.
"Nay," growled Shaddy, "he ain't coming this way--only
right-about-facing. It is his nature to; he's going to make for the
water. That's what those things do: get down to the bottom and lie
there, to be out o' danger. Look, Mr Rob, sir; you can see now what a
length he is. One part's going one way, and the t'other part t'other
way. Now he's turned the corner, and going straight for the river."
With Shaddy's words to guide them, they could easily make out what was
taking place, as the reptile now made for the place of refuge already
sought by its companion.
Just then Brazier cocked his piece--_click, click_--and took a few steps
forward to try and get a sight of the creature before it reached the
river bank.
"May as well save your shot, sir," said Shaddy gruffly. "He's going
into the water bleeding pretty free, I know; and there's them waiting
below as will be at him as soon as they smell blood."
"How horrible!" cried Rob.
"Ay, 'tis, sir, or seems so to us; but it's nature's way of clearing off
all the sickly and wounded things from the face of the earth."
"But what will dare to attack such a terrible beast?"
Shaddy chuckled.
"Anything--everything, sir; little and big. Why, them little pirani
fishes will be at him in thousands, and there's 'gators enough within
fifty yards to make a supper of him as if he was spitchcocked eel. Ah!
there he goes--part of him's in the water already; but I should have
liked the master to have his skin."
Invisible though the serpent was, its course was evident by the rustling
and movement of the growth, and some idea too was gained of the
reptile's length.
"There! what did I say?" shouted Shaddy excitedly, as all at once there
was the sound of splashing and agitation in the water down beneath the
submerged trees; and directly after the serpent's tail rose above the
trunk of one of those lying prone, and gleamed and glistened in the
blaze as it undulated and bent and twined about. Then it fell with a
splash, and beat the water, rose again quivering seven or eight feet in
the air, while the water all around seemed terribly agitated. There was
a snapping sound, too, horribly ominous in its nature, and the rushing
and splashing went on as the tail of the serpent fell suddenly, rose
once more as if the rest of the long lithe body were held below, and
finally disappeared, while the splashing continued for a few minutes
longer before all was silent.
Rob drew a long breath, and Joe shuddered.
"Well," said Shaddy quietly, "that's just how you take it, young
gentlemen. Seems so horrible because it was a big serpent. If it had
been a worm six inches long you wouldn't have thought anything of it.
Look at my four chaps there: they don't take any notice--don't seem
horrid to them. You'll get used to it."
"Impossible!" said Brazier.
"Oh! I don't know, sir," continued Shaddy. "You've come out where you
wanted to, in the wildest wilds, where the beasts have it all their own
way, and they do as they always do, go on eating one another up. Why,
I've noticed that it isn't only the birds, beasts, and fishes, but even
the trees out here in the forest do just the same."
"Nonsense!" cried Rob merrily. "Eat one another?"
"Yes, sir; that's it, rum as it sounds to you. I'll tell you how it is.
A great ball full of nuts tumbles down from one of the top branches of
a tree, when it's ripe, bang on to the hard ground, splits, and the nuts
fly out all round, right amongst the plants and rotten leaves. After a
bit the nuts begin to swell; then a shoot comes out, and another out of
it. Then one shoot goes down into the ground to make roots, and the
other goes up to make a tree. They're all doing the same thing, but one
of 'em happens to have fallen in the place where there's the best soil,
and he grows bigger and stronger than the others, and soon begins to
smother them by pushing his branches and leaves over them. Then they
get spindly and weak, and worse and worse, because the big one shoves
his roots among them too; and at last they wither and droop, and die,
and rot, and the big strong one regularly eats up with his roots all the
stuff of which they were made; and in a few years, instead of there
being thirty or forty young trees, there's only one, and it gets big."
"Why, Naylor, you are quite a philosopher!" said Brazier, smiling.
"Am I, sir? Didn't know it; but a man like me couldn't be out in the
woods always without seeing that. Why, you'd think, with such thousands
of trees always falling and rotting away, that the ground would be feet
deep in leaf mould and decayed wood; but if you go right in the forest
you'll find how the roots eat it up as fast as it's made."
"But what about these big trunks?" said Joe, pointing to the fallen
trees.
"Them? Well, they're going into earth as fast as they can, and in a few
years there'll be nothing of 'em left. Why, look at that one; it's as
if it were burning away now," he continued, pointing to the hole through
which Rob had fallen: "that's nature at work making the tree, now it's
dead, turn into useful stuff for the others to feed on."
"Yes," said Brazier, as he broke out a piece of the luminous touchwood,
which gleamed in the darkness when it was screened from the fire:
"that's a kind of phosphoric fungus, boys."
"Looks as if it would burn one's fingers," said Joe, handling the
beautiful piece of rotten, glowing wood.
"Yes; and so do other things out here," said Shaddy. "There's plenty of
what I call cold fire; but you'll soon see enough of that."
Shaddy ceased speaking, for at that moment a strange, thrilling sound
came from the depths of the forest, not more, apparently, than a hundred
yards away.
Its effect was electrical.
The half-bred natives who formed Shaddy's crew of boatmen had watched
the encounters with the two serpents in the most unconcerned way, while
the weird chorus of sounds from the depths of the forest, with yells,
howls, and cries of dangerous beasts, was so much a matter of course
that they did not turn their heads even at the nearest roar, trusting,
as they did, implicitly in the security afforded them by the fire. But
now, as this strange sound rang out, silencing the chorus of cries, they
leaped up as one man, and made for the boat, hauling on the rope and
scrambling in as fast as possible.
Rob's first impulse was to follow suit, especially as Giovanni took a
few hurried steps, and tripping over a little bush, fell headlong. But
seeing that Shaddy stood fast, and that Brazier cocked his piece, he
stopped where he was, though his heart throbbed heavily, and his breath
came as if there were some strange oppression at his chest.
"What's that?" whispered Brazier, as the thrilling sound died away,
leaving the impression behind that some huge creature must be
approaching in a threatening manner, for a curious rustling followed the
cry.
"Well, sir," said Shaddy, taking off his cap, and giving his head a rub
as if to brighten his brain, "that's what I want to know."
"You don't know?"
"No, sir," said the man, coolly; "I know pretty well every noise as is
to be heard out here but that one, and it downright puzzles me. First
time I heard it I was sitting by my fire cooking my dinner--a fat, young
turkey I'd shot--and I ups and runs as hard as ever I could, and did not
stop till I could go no further. Ah! I rec'lect it now, how hungry and
faint I was, for I dursen't go back, and I dessay whatever the beast was
who made that row ate my turkey. Nex' time I heard it I didn't run. I
was cooking ducks then, and I says to myself, `I'll take the ducks,' and
I did, and walked off as fast as I could to my boat."
"And you did not see it?"
"No, sir. P'r'aps we shall this time; I hope so, for I want to know.
Third time never fails, so if you don't mind we'll all be ready with our
guns and wait for him. May be something interesting to a nat'ral
hist'ry gent like you, and we may get his head and skin for you to take
home to the Bri'sh Museum. What do you say?"
"Well," said Brazier, drily, "self-preservation's the first law of
nature. I do not want to show the white feather, but really I think we
had better do as the men have done--get on board and wait for our enemy
there. What do you say, lads!"
"Decidedly, yes," cried both eagerly.
"But we don't know as it is our enemy yet, sir," replied Shaddy,
thoughtfully. "Hah! hark at that!"
They needed no telling, for all shivered slightly, as another cry, very
different from the last, rang out from the forest--half roar, half howl,
of a most appalling nature.
"Here, let's get on board," said Brazier.
"Not for that, sir," cried Shaddy, with one of his curiously harsh
laughs. "Why, that's only one of them big howling monkeys who would go
off among the branches twisting his tail, and scared 'most into fits, if
you looked at him."
"A monkey!" cried Rob. "Are you sure?"
"Oh, yes, I'm sure enough 'bout that, gentlemen. It's the other thing
that puzzles me."
They ceased speaking and stood watchfully waiting; but after a
retrograde movement toward the boat, so as to be able to retreat at any
moment. The cry was not repeated, though, and the feeling of awe began
to die off, but only to return on Shaddy continuing,--
"There's a something there, or else that there howler wouldn't have
hollered once and then gone off. The lions and tigers, too, have
slinked away. That's a lion--puma you call him--ever so far off; and, I
can hear a couple of tigers quite faint-like; but all the things near
here have stopped calling, and that shows there's that thing prowling
about."
"But the men?" whispered Rob. "They ran away as if they knew what it
was."
"Tchah! They don't know. Their heads are full of bogies. Soon as they
hear a noise, and can't tell what it is, they say it's an evil spirit or
a goblin or ghost. Babies they are. Why, if I was to go near a lot of
natives in the dark, hide myself, and let go with Scotch bagpipes,
they'd run for miles and never come nigh that part of the forest again."
All at once the chorus in the forest was resumed, with so much force
that it sounded as if the various creatures had been holding their
noises back and were now trying hard to make up for the previous check.
That was Rob's opinion, and he gave it in a whisper to his companion.
"Then, it's gone," said Joe. "I say, didn't you feel scared?"
"Horribly."
"Then I'm not such a coward after all. I felt as if I must run."
"So you did when the serpent came."
"Well, isn't it enough to make one? You English fellows have the credit
of being so brave that you will face anything without being frightened;
but I believe you are frightened all the same."
"Of course we are," said Rob, "only Englishmen will never own they are
frightened, even to themselves, and that's why they face anything."
"Then you are not an Englishman?" said Joe.
"No, only an English boy," said Rob, laughing. "I say, though, never
mind about bragging. I'm precious glad, whatever it was, that it has
gone."
"I remember, now, my father telling me about his hearing some horrible
noise in the Grand Chaco one night when the schooner was at anchor close
in shore. He said it gave him quite a chill; but I didn't take any more
notice of it then. It must have been one of those things."
"No doubt," said Brazier, who had overheard his words; "but there, our
adventure is over for this time, and it will be something to think about
in the future."
"Perhaps we shall see it yet," said Rob.
"I hope not," cried Joe uneasily.
"Gone, Naylor?" continued Brazier.
"Yes, sir, I think so."
"Good job too. Why, Naylor, my man, I never thought you were going to
bring us to such a savage, dangerous place as this."
"What? Come, sir, I like that! Says to me, you did, `I want you to
guide me to some part of the country where I can enter the prime
forest.'"
"Primeval," said Brazier, correctively.
"That's right, sir. `Where,' you says, `the foot of man has never trod,
and I may see Natur' just as she is, untouched, unaltered by any one.
Do you know such a place?' Them was your very words, and Master Rob
heered you."
"Quite true, my man."
"And I says to you, `I knows the spot as'll just suit you. Trust to
me,' I says, `and I'll take you there, where you may see birds, beasts,
and fishes, and as many o' them flowers'--orkards you called 'em--`as
grows on trees, as you like;' and now here you are, sir, and you
grumble."
"Not a bit, Naylor."
"But, begging your pardon, sir, you do; and I appeals to Master Rob
whether I arn't done my dooty."
"No need to appeal to Rob, Naylor, for I do not grumble. You have done
splendidly for me. Why, man, I am delighted; but you must not be
surprised at my feeling startled when anacondas come to supper, and we
are frightened out of our wits by cries that impress even you."
"Then you are satisfied, sir?"
"More than satisfied."
"And you don't want to go back?"
"Of course not. What do you say, Rob? Shall we return?"
"Oh no--not on any account; only let's keep more in the boat."
"Yes, I think we are safer there," said Brazier. "But our friend, or
enemy, seems to have gone."
"Wait a bit, sir," replied Shaddy; "and glad I am that you're satisfied.
Let me listen awhile."
They were silent, and stood listening as well, and watching the weird
effects produced by the fire, as from time to time one of the pieces of
wood which the men had planted round the blaze in the shape of a cone
fell in, sending up a whirl of flame and glittering sparks high in air,
lighting up the trees and making them seem to wave with the dancing
flames. The wall of forest across the river, too, appeared to be
peopled with strange shadows, and the effect was more strange as the
fire approached nearer to the huge butt of the largest tree, throwing up
its jagged roots against the dazzling light, so that it was as if so
many gigantic stag-horns had been planted at a furnace mouth.
And all the while the fiddling, piping, strumming and hooting, with
screech, yell and howl, went on in the curious chorus, for they were
indeed deep now in one of Nature's fastnesses, where the teeming life
had remained untouched by man.
"Well," said Brazier at last to the guide, whose figure, seen by the
light of the fire, looked as wild as the surroundings, "had we not
better get on board? You can hear nothing through that din."
"Oh yes, I can, sir," replied Shaddy. "I've got so used to it o' nights
that I can pick out any sound I like from the rest. But we may as well
turn in. The fire will burn till morning, and even if it wouldn't,
those chaps of mine wouldn't go ashore again to-night; and I certainly
don't feel disposed to go and mend the fire myself, for fear of getting
something on my shoulder I don't understand."
"It has gone, though," said Brazier.
"Something moving there," whispered Rob, pointing to the gilded mass of
foliage beyond and to the left of the fire.
"Eh! where?" cried Shaddy. "Nay, only the fire making it look as if the
trees were waving. Nothing there, my lad. Whatever it is, it has
slinked off into the forest again. The fire drew it this way, I
suppose. There, we've heard the last of him for to-night. Sings well
when he do oblige."
"I should have liked to hear the cry once more, though," said Brazier;
and as the words left his lips the horrible noise rang out, apparently
from behind the fire, and without hesitation the little party hurried on
board the boat.