The lad said nothing, so great was the change from hope to despondency;
and he hardly noticed the sound close beside him, as Shaddy said
gruffly--
"Well, if any one had told me that, I wouldn't have believed it!"
"Is it any use to shout again, Shaddy?" said Rob, as he looked down at
the indistinctly-seen shape of the dull tawny-coated puma, which had
carried its captive after them to the clearing, and had now quietly lain
down to its feast.
"No, Mr Rob, sir; if he's here, it's in the shelter-place we made,
utterly done up with tramping. Let's go and see."
It was no easy task to get even there in the darkness, but they soon
after stood at the end, and Rob convinced himself in a few moments that
they were alone.
"Oh, Shaddy!" he cried piteously, "he hasn't come back. What can we do
to find him?"
"I'll show you, sir," said the man, quietly. "First thing is to make up
the fire."
"For him to see? Yes; that's right."
"Man couldn't see the fire many yards away in the wood, Mr Rob, sir. I
meant for us, so as to roast a bit of that deer, if the lion'll let us
have it."
"I must do something to help Mr Brazier!" said Rob, angrily.
"That's helping him, my lad--having a good meal to make us strong.
After that we'll have a good sleep to make us rested."
"Oh, no! no!" cried Rob, angrily.
"But I say yes, yes, yes, sir!" said Shaddy, firmly. "I know what you
feel, my lad, and it's quite nat'ral; but just hark ye here a moment.
Can we do anything to find him in that black darkness to-night?"
"No," said Rob, in despair; "it is, I know, impossible."
"Quite right, my lad. Then as soon as it's daylight oughtn't we to be
ready to go and help him?"
"Of course, Shaddy."
"Then how can we do most good,--as half-starved, worn-out fellows,
without an ounce of pluck between us, or well-fed, strong, and
refreshed, ready to tramp any number of hours, and able to carry him if
it came to the worst? Answer me that."
"Come and light the fire, Shaddy," said Rob, quietly.
"Ah!" ejaculated the old sailor, and he led the way to where the embers
lay, warm still, and with plenty of dry wood about. Five minutes after
the fire was blazing merrily and illumining the scene.
"Now," cried Shaddy, "if your Tom would play fair, and let us have the
hind-quarters of that deer, we might have it instead of the lizard.
He'll only eat the neck, I daresay. Shall we try him? I don't think
he'd show fight at you, sir."
"Let's try," said Rob, quietly. "I don't think I'm afraid of him now."
"Not you, Mr Rob, sir," said Shaddy; and they went together to where
they had left the puma feasting upon the deer, but, to the surprise of
both, there lay the carcass partly eaten about the throat and breast,
and the puma had gone.
"He can't have had enough yet," growled Shaddy, dropping upon his knees,
knife in hand; and, seizing hold of the deer, he drove his blade in just
across the loins, separating the vertebrae at the first thrust, but
started back directly, as a low and fierce growl came from the edge of
the forest, where they could see a pair of fiery eyes lit up by the
blaze they had left behind.
"I know," cried Shaddy; "he was scared off by our fire, but he don't
want to lose his supper. What shall we do, Mr Rob? Two more cuts, and
I could draw the hind-quarters away. I'll try it."
The puma was silent, and Shaddy slowly approached his hand, thrust in
his knife, and made one bold cut which swept through the deer's flank;
but another growl arose, and there was a bound made by the puma--which,
however, turned and crept slowly back to cover, where it stood watching
them, with the fire again reflected in its eyes.
"He don't mean mischief, Mr Rob, sir," said Shaddy. "I'll have another
try. I may get through it this time."
"No, no, don't try; it's dangerous."
"But you don't fancy that lizard thing, my lad; and I want you strong
to-morrow. Now, look here: I'll get close again, and risk it; and if,
just as I say `Now,' you'd speak to the beast quiet like, as you would
to a dog, it might take his attention, and so we'd get the hind part
clear off."
"Yes," said Rob, quietly. "Shall I walk to it?"
"No, I wouldn't do that, but go a little way off sidewise, just keeping
your distance, talking all the while, and he'd follow you with his
eyes."
Rob nodded, and turned off, as Shaddy crept close once more and
stretched out his hand.
"Now!" he said; and Rob began to call the beast, fervently hoping that
it would not come, but to his horror it did; and he could just dimly
make out its shape, looking misty and dim in the firelight, with its
eyes glowing and its tail writhing, as it slowly approached, while Rob
walked farther away from his companion still.
All at once the puma stopped short, swung itself round, and, to Rob's
horror, crouched, bounded back toward where the carcass lay, leaping
right to it, and burying its jaws in the deer's neck with a savage
snarl.
"Run, Shaddy," shouted Rob.
"It's all right, my lad," came from a little distance: "I did. I've got
our half, and he's got his. Speak to him gently, and leave him to his
supper. We won't be very long before we have ours."
"Got it?" cried Rob, eagerly, as he hurried after his companion.
"Yes, my lad--all right;" and a few minutes later pieces of the tender,
succulent flesh, quite free from marks of the puma's claws, were
frizzling over the clear embers and emitting an appetising odour, which
taught the boy how hungry he was; and as they were cooking, Shaddy
talked of how tame he had known pumas to be, and of how they seemed to
take to man.
"I wouldn't trust a tiger the length of his tail," he said, as they
raked hot coals nearer to the roasting meat; "but I should never feel
skeart of a lion, so long as I didn't get fighting him. Strikes me that
after a fashion you might get that chap kind of tame. Shouldn't wonder
if, when he's done, he comes and lies down here for a warm."
Rob thought of his former night's experience, when something came and
nestled near him; and the next minute he was doing the same as the
puma--partaking of the nourishing meat, every mouthful seeming to give
him fresh strength.
It was a rough, but enjoyable meal, nature making certain demands which
had to be satisfied; and for the moment, as he fell to after his long
fast, Rob forgot his boyish companion and the second loss he had
sustained. But as soon as he had finished, the depression came back,
and he felt ashamed of himself for having enjoyed his food instead of
dwelling upon some means of finding out where Mr Brazier had strayed.
His attention was taken off, though, directly by Shaddy, who said
slowly:
"That's better. Nothing like a good honest meal for setting a man going
again and making him ready to think and work. I say, look yonder at
your tom-cat."
The fire had just fallen together, and was blazing up so as to spread a
circle of light for some distance round; and upon looking in the
direction of the puma Rob could see it lying down feasting away upon its
share of the deer, apparently quite confident that it was in the
neighbourhood of friends, and not likely to be saluted with a shot.
It struck Rob that the animal must be pretty well satisfied now with
food, and in consequence less likely to be vicious, so he rose.
"Where are you going, Mr Rob, sir?" said Shaddy.
"Over to the puma."
"I wouldn't. Oh, I don't know. Best time to make friends--after
dinner. I'd be careful, though, my lad."
"Yes; I'll take care," said Rob, who felt a strong desire to find
another friend out there in the wilderness, now that his companions were
dropping away; and thinking that the time might come when he would be
quite alone, he walked slowly toward where the puma was crunching up
some of the tender bones of the deer.
Rob kept a little to one side, so that his shadow should not fall upon
the animal, which paid no heed to his approach for a few moments; then
uttered a low fierce snarl and laid down its ears, making the boy stop
short and feel ready to retreat, as the animal suddenly sprang up and
stood lashing its tail and licking its lips. But it made no further
menacing sign, and walked quietly toward him and then stood waiting.
Rob hesitated. Nature suggested flight, but Rob wanted to tame the
beast, and mastering his dread he advanced, and in spite of a warning
admonition from Shaddy, took another step or two and stopped by the
puma, which stared at him intently for a few moments. It then set all
doubts as to its feelings at rest by suddenly butting its head against
Rob's leg, and as the lad bent down and patted it, threw itself on one
side, and with the playful action of a kitten curved its paws, made dabs
with them at the lad's foot, and ended by holding it and rubbing its
head against his boot.
"Well done, beast tamer!" cried Shaddy; and the puma threw up its head
directly and stared in the direction of the sound; but a touch from
Rob's hand quieted it, and it stretched itself out and lay with its eyes
half closed, apparently thoroughly enjoying the caresses of its human
friend.
"Better get to the shelter, Mr Rob, sir," said Shaddy suddenly; and
after a final pat and stroke, the boy turned away from the puma and
walked back to the fire, finding that the animal had sprung up and
followed him directly for about half the distance, but only to stop
short and stand there, handsome and lithe, watching them and the fire,
while its tail played about and the fine hairs glistened.
"He don't know what to make of me, Mr Rob, sir; and as we've no dog I
may as well be friends too. Try and bring him up. He won't be a bad
companion, 'specially if he hunts deer for us like he did to-night.
He'll be good as a gun."
"He doesn't seem to like you, Shaddy."
"No, sir. I'm old and tough; you're young and tender," said the guide
grimly. "He's cunning, as all cats are; and some day, when he's hungry
and is enjoying you, he'll say to himself--`This is a deal better than
that tough old sailor, who'd taste strong of tar and bilge.' Here, what
are you going to do?"
"Try and fetch him here," said Rob, smiling as he went close up to the
puma, which crouched again at his approach; and full of confidence now,
the lad went down on one knee, patting and stroking the beast for a
minute, talking softly the while.
The result was that as he rose the puma leaped up, bounded round him,
and then followed close up to the fire, but met all Shaddy's advances
with a low growl and a laying down of its ears flat upon its head.
"All right," said Shaddy, "I don't want to be friends if you don't,
puss; only let's have a--what-you-may-call-it?"
"Truce," suggested Rob.
"That's it, sir. I won't show fight if he won't. Now then, sir, let's
make up the fire; and then--bed."
Shaddy quickly piled up a quantity of wood on the embers, beating and
smothering it down, so that they might have it as a protection against
enemies and as a ready friend in the morning. Then, shouldering the
portion left of the deer, he led the way to the rough hut, hung the meat
high up in a tree and crept in, Rob following and wondering whether the
puma would stop near them.
But the animal hung back as Rob followed his companion into the dark
triangular-shaped space, where, after a short time devoted to
meditation, he threw himself upon his bed of leaves to lie and think of
his two lost companions.
At least, that was his intention, but the moment Rob rose in the
darkness from his knees and lay down with a restful sigh, he dropped
into a deep dreamless sleep, from which he half awoke once to stretch
out his hand and feel it rest upon something furry and warm, which he
dimly made out to be the curled-up body of the puma. Then he slept
again till broad daylight showed in through the end of the bough, but
half shut away by the figure of the guide, who said roughly:
"Now you two: time to get up."
At that moment Rob's hand rested upon a round, soft head, which began to
move, and commenced a vibratory movement as a deep humming purr filled
the place.