"Don't fire unnecessarily," he continued. "If any wild animal comes
near, a piece of burning wood will scare it away at once."
"As it did that great cat!" I said.
"Did you see, then?" he said.
"I have not been asleep for a single minute," I replied. "What was it--
a tiger?"
"Tiger! No, my lad," he said, laughing; "I don't think we shall see any
tigers here. There, I shall yawn my head off if I stop here talking.
Good night!"
He walked to the shelter, and I went and sat down next our black
companion, who smiled a welcome; and thinking this a favourable
opportunity, I set to work to try and increase my knowledge of the
language, by lifting up different objects and making the black give them
their native name, which I tried to imitate as well as I could.
He was very intelligent, grasping my meaning at once, and repeating the
words again and again, till I was nearly perfect, when he laughed with
childlike pleasure.
The time passed so quickly in this occupation that I was quite startled
by hearing a wild resonant cry that seemed to echo through the forest
arcades. Then there was a succession of piercing screams, followed by
loud whistling and muttering. A monkey started a chattering noise,
which was answered from a distance with a hundredfold power; and looking
about me I found that the day was breaking and the night-watch at an
end.
The change from night to morning is very rapid near the equator, and
soon the sun was making bright and attractive places that had looked
awful and full of hidden dangers in the night; while, in place of the
depression produced by the darkness, I felt eager sensations and desires
springing up within my heart, and a strong inclination to get forward
once more upon our journey.
We made a very hearty meal before the sun was much above the horizon;
our simple packing was soon done, and we were not long before we were
well on the road of discovery.
I expected to be very tired and sleepy, but to my surprise I did not
feel in the least the worse for my restless night, and we trudged along
pretty swiftly when the land was open, slowly and toilsomely when
tangled growth obstructed our way.
I was too much occupied with thoughts of my father to pay much heed to
the fruits and flowers that we came upon in many spots; besides, I was
on before with Jack Penny, and Gyp in front of us very intelligently
leading the way. There was, I knew, always the chance of meeting some
danger, and on this account we kept a very sharp look-out ahead, till
suddenly we were stopped by a strange noise as of water being struck a
succession of heavy blows; and as Gyp set up his ears, threw up his
nose, and uttered a low whimper, there was the click, click of
gun-locks, and every one prepared for some coming danger, the blacks
remaining quiet, and looking wonderingly at our strange proceedings.
The sound ceased as suddenly as it had begun, and though we listened
intently we heard it no more for that time, so we continued our journey
with every one thoroughly on the alert.