Bunyip Land Part 22

"That is just how it sounded to me," I said, gazing full in his eyes.

He remained silent for a few moments, not listening but thinking.

"We must take a lesson from our friend Jack Penny, there," he said, smiling in my face as he stroked his broad beard. "I must confess, Joe, to feeling a curious sensation of awe as we sit out here in this primeval forest, surrounded by teeming savage life; but Jack Penny coolly sleeps through it all, and, as I say, we must take a lesson from him, and get used to these strange sounds."

"There it is again!" I said, catching his arm, and unable to control the feeling that at any moment something might spring out of the darkness upon my back.

For the same curious rustling of leaves came whispering from among the trees, and then there was a low expiration of breath, as if some great beast had yawned.

Click-click, click-click sounded loudly on the night air, and I followed the doctor's example, c.o.c.king both barrels of my piece.

"It's coming nearer, whatever it is," said the doctor in a low tone, "and that strange noise means, I think, that it is some great serpent."

"But would serpents be out at night?" I said.

"That one was the other night, Joe, and we must not reckon upon the regular habits of animals if we light great fires in their lairs."

We sat listening again, and the rustling sound began once more.

"It's just as if the thing were climbing along trees that are not strong enough to bear it," I said in an excited whisper, "and they keep flying up after it pa.s.ses."

"Hush!" said the doctor.

We listened, and from out of the darkest part before us there arose a loud tearing noise as if bark was being scratched from a tree trunk.

"Some kind of beast of the cat family, I should say," whispered the doctor. "Pst! be ready; but don't fire unless we are attacked."

Just then there was a rush, a scramble, a dull thud, and some creature uttered a sound that seemed like the word _Howl_ in a hollow echoing tone.

Again and again there was the low rustling, and then that word _Howl_ that seemed to come from some great throat; and in imagination I saw in the darkness a pair of fiery eyes and a set of great sharp teeth.

"Yes; some kind of cat, leopard, or panther," said the doctor; but, low as his utterance was, it seemed to irritate the creature in our neighbourhood, as it kept on the rustling, for there was a harsh exclamation and the earth seemed to be torn up.

Then all at once the sound ceased, and it was perfectly still for quite a quarter of an hour, which seemed an endless time; and then, tired of staring intently into the darkness, and too much excited to be silent, I whispered:

"This night-watching is the hardest part of our work, doctor."

"Oh! no, my boy. It makes you a little creepy at first, but as soon as you feel your own power and how you must alarm these creatures, you will get used to it."

"But the fire makes them see us, and we can't see them," I said, in an ill-used tone.

Just then there arose from what seemed to be just the other side of the fire one of the most awful cries I ever heard, and my hair felt as if a tiny cold hand were stirring it about the roots, while a curious sensation ran down my back.

As the fearsome howl rang out the doctor levelled his piece, ready to fire, and as the fire shone full upon him in his half-kneeling position there was something terribly earnest in his face, and he looked so brave that it seemed to give me a little courage just when I seemed to have none.

"Pick up some of those thin branches and throw them on the fire," said the doctor; and I hurried to obey his command, when there was another awful howling roar, and the creature, whatever it was, charged at me; but I threw on the branches all the same, when the fire leaped up with a tremendous blaze, lighting the forest all round.

"See it, doctor?" I whispered.

"No," he answered; "it keeps in amongst the trees."

The doctor's voice sounded so hoa.r.s.e and strange that it added to my trepidation. He stopped, and I wanted him to go on talking, but he remained silent, while once more the forest resounded with the hideous cry of the beast.

The wood blazed well, so that I could see, as it were, a circle of light, and behind us our black shadows were thrown upon the trees, quite startling me as I looked round.

"Keep up the fire," whispered the doctor; "whatever it is it will not attack while there is this blaze."

I obeyed him and kept on throwing twigs and boughs that had been laid in a heap ready, but with a curious sensation of dread the while, for it seemed to me that if the fire consumed all our wood we should be left at the creature's mercy.

All at once it seemed to me that the rustling and snuffling noise was coming round to our left, and as if I had drawn his attention to the fact, the doctor exclaimed:

"Yes, it is coming on here; keep round this way."

We edged round the fire so as to keep it between us and the animal that seemed to be watching us, when all at once the sound came from close behind us, and, as if moved by one impulse, we bounded past the fire, the pieces I had held in my hand making a crackling blaze and shower of sparks.

This seemed to excite our a.s.sailant, which uttered three hideous roars at intervals, and each seemed nearer than the last, so that we were driven to keep on edging round the fire so as to keep it as our shield.

We walked slowly round the fire three times, fully aware of the fact that the creature was regularly stalking us, for it kept up the scratching rustling noise, and howled at intervals.

This was trying enough to our nerves; but when, all at once, every sound ceased, and we stood there by the ruddy blaze, it seemed terrible to know that our enemy was close at hand, but not to know exactly where.

At any moment we felt that it might spring upon us, and I turned a wistful look upon the doctor, which he responded to by saying:

"Throw on more wood."

I obeyed him, and the blaze flashed up higher once again, spreading a cloud of sparks on high to rise among the leaves and tinge the broad branches with a ruddy golden glow.

I gazed in all directions for the danger, and started with nervous trepidation every time the doctor spoke, his words being generally--"Throw on more wood." But at last, after a terrible period of anxious silence, he whispered my name.

"Yes," I said.

"This can't go on much longer. I'm afraid the beast is coming nearer.

Can you see anything your side?"

"Yes--no--yes, I think so," I whispered back. "There's a shadowy something just at the edge of the light. I think it is some kind of wild beast."

"Is it the dog?" he whispered back.

"No," I said. "Gyp always sleeps close to his master."

"Do you think you could take steady aim at it, my lad?" he said.

"I don't know," I replied, "but I will try. Shall I fire at it?"

"Let me think," he answered. "I don't know whether it would be wise to fire, and perhaps only wound the creature."

"But perhaps I shall kill it," I said.

"It is doubtful, Joe," he replied, "and the noise of your piece would bring out our people, perhaps into danger. Let us wait. Here," he said, "I have it! This beast has been cautiously following us round, always keeping out of our sight. I think now that the best way will be for you to continue the retreat round the fire while I stop here on one knee. The beast will then follow you, and I shall get a good certain shot at him."