Among the Brigands Part 31

"Something's down there!"

At this David's face turned pale. He knelt down at the opening, and bent his head over.

The sounds, which had ceased for a moment, became once more audible.

There was a quick, beating, rustling, rubbing noise among the f.a.gots, and he could occasionally hear the rap of footfalls on the floor. It was too dark to see anything, for the narrow door was the only opening, and the end of the chamber where the f.a.gots lay was wrapped in deep gloom.

Clive knelt down too, and then both boys, kneeling there, listened eagerly and intently with all their ears.

"What is it?" asked Clive.

"I'm rare I don't know," said David, gloomily.

"Is it a brigand?" whispered Clive, dismally.

"I don't know, I'm sore," said poor David, who, in spite of his recent declaration of his belief that all brigands were humbugs, felt something like his old trepidation at Clive's suggestion.

They listened a little longer.

The noise subsided for a time, and then began again. This time it was much louder than before. There was the same rustling, rubbing, cracking, snapping sound made by something among the f.a.gots; there was a clatter as of feet on the hard ground; then there was a quick, reiterated rubbing; then another peculiar noise, which sounded exactly like that which a dog makes when shaking himself violently after coming out of the water. After this there was a low, deep sound, midway between a yawn and a growl; then all was still.

David and Clive raised themselves softly, and looked at one another.

"Well?" said Clive.

"Well?" said David.

"I don't know," said Clive.

"I don't know," said David.

"What shall we do?" said Clive.

David shook his head. Then, looking down the opening once more, he again raised his eyes, and fixing them with an awful look on Clive, he said, in a dismal tone,--

"It's not a brigand!"

"No," said Clive, "I don't think it is, either."

David looked down again; then he looked up at Clive with the same expression, and said in the same dismal tone as before,--

"Clive!"

"Well?"

"_It's a wild beast!_"

Clive looked back at David with eyes that expressed equal horror, and said not a word.

"Don't you think so?" asked David.

"Yes," said Clive.

Then:--

"How can we get down?" said David.

do. said Clive.

"I, don't know!" said David.

do. said Clive.

Once more the boys put their heads down to the hole and listened.

The noises were soon renewed--such noises as,-- Snapping, with variations.

cracking, " do.

deep-breathing, " do.

scratching, " do.

sighing, " do.

yawning, " do.

growling, " do.

grunting, " do.

smacking, " do.

thumping, " do.

jerking, " do.

rattling, " do.

pushing, with variations, sliding, " do.

shaking, " do.

jerking, " do.

twitching, " do.

groaning, " do.

pattering, " do.

rolling, " do.

rubbing, " do.

together with many more of a similar character, all of which went to indicate to the minds of both of the boys the presence in that lower chamber, and close by that pile of f.a.gots, of some animal, in a state of wakefulness, restlessness, and, as they believed, of vigilant watchfulness and ferocity.

"I wonder how it got there," said David. "That olive grove--that's it--O, that's it. He saw us come in here, and followed us."

"I don't know," said Clive. "He may have been among the f.a.gots when we came in, and our coming has waked him."

"I wonder that the guide didn't warn us."

"O, he never thought, I suppose."

"No; he thought we would keep by the path, and go straight to the hotel."

"What fools we were!"

"Well, it can't be helped now."

"I wonder what it is," said Clive, after another anxious pause.