"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 carca.s.s 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 carca.s.s 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 b.u.t.ting 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 quant.i.ty 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 s.p.a.ce, 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.
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.
THE END OF THE QUEST.
It was hard work to be dull and low-spirited in the midst of the beautiful scene which greeted Rob as he stepped out and followed Shaddy down to the fire. The clearing was one ma.s.s of glorious colour, the sky gorgeous with the sunrise tints, and the river flushed with orange, blue and gold. Birds sang, piped, and shrieked loudly, b.u.t.terflies were beginning to flutter about, and a loud chattering from the nearest tree roused Rob to the fact that the puma had been following him, for it suddenly made three or four leaps in the direction of the sounds, and then crouched down to gaze at a party of monkeys, which were leaping about, scolding, shrieking and chattering angrily at the enemy watching their movements. Directly after, though, the puma returned to Rob"s side, uttering a sound strongly suggestive of the domestic cat.
"Going to have a dip, Mr Rob, sir?" said Shaddy. And then--"I"d be very careful, sir; you know how full of biting varmin the river is.