Rob Harlow's Adventures Part 32

"Hang it up in a tree, then."

"Ready for the vultures to come and carry it off? That wouldn't do, sir. No; there's no way of doing it but hanging it up in your boat.

The animals can't get at it, nor the ants neither, and the birds are afraid to come."

"I did not think of that," said Rob apologetically.

"No, sir, s'pose not. I used to think as you did. I didn't want to have anything that might smell on my boat, and I did as you advised till I found out that it would not do. Don't take too much at a time," he growled to the man who was loading himself, "and mind and lay out all the pieces separate. Is the fire burning?"

The man replied in his own tongue, and went off.

"I'll get on now, sir," said Shaddy, "and see to the pieces frizzling for our dinner, if you'll stop and see that the men don't leave before they are done."

"How am I to speak to them? I don't know their tongue."

"No need to speak, sir. If they see you're watching them they won't neglect anything, but will do it properly. I was only afraid of their wanting to step off to the fireside to begin broiling bones."

Shaddy shouldered his gun, and went off after the man who was loaded with strips of flesh to make what is called biltong, and the two left worked on very diligently, with the boys wandering here and there in search of objects of interest and finding plenty--brilliant metallic-cased beetles, strange flowers which they wanted named, birds which it was a delight to watch as they busied themselves about the fruit and flowers of the trees at the forest edge.

"I shall be glad when they've done," said Joe at last, as they were walking back to where Brazier stood leaning upon the muzzle of his gun.

"I am so hungry. Wonder whether these berries are good to eat!"

He turned aside into the bushes to begin picking some bright yellow fruit, and scaring away a little parrot from the feast.

"I want something better than those," said Rob contemptuously; and he went on, expecting that Joe was close behind.

All at once, when he was about twenty yards away from where Brazier was standing, Rob saw him start, raise his gun, and c.o.c.k it as he glared wildly at his young companion.

"Anything the matter, sir?" cried Rob, hastening his steps.

"Yes!" cried Brazier hoa.r.s.ely. "Stand aside, boy! Take care! Out of my line of fire! You're being stalked by a wild beast!"

Rob stared, looked round, and saw at a glance that the puma had evidently been hiding among the dead gra.s.s and thick growth, but had been following and watching him ever since he had seen it leap into the bushes. Then the truth dawned upon him that of course Mr Brazier could not know what had pa.s.sed, and there he was with his gun raised to fire.

"Stand aside, boy!" was roared again; and, obeying the stronger will, Rob sprang aside, but only to leap back.

"Don't fire! don't fire!" he shrieked, but too late. The gun belched forth rapidly its two charges, and Rob fell and rolled over upon the earth.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

FRIGHTENED BY FALSE FIRES.

"Naylor--Giovanni--help! help!" cried Brazier. "What have I done?"

As in a voice full of agony Brazier uttered these words, the dense smoke from the gun which had hidden Rob for the moment slowly rose and showed the lad lying motionless upon the earth. Shaddy rushed up, dropped upon one knee and raised the boy's head, while with his keen knife held across his mouth he looked sharply round for the South American lion, ready to meet its attack.

But the animal was not visible, and it was directly after forgotten in the excitement centred on Rob.

"Tear off his clothes! Where is he wounded? No doctor! Run to the boat for that little case of mine. Here, let me come."

These words were uttered by Brazier with frantic haste, and directly after he uttered a cry of horror and pointed to Rob's forehead close up amongst the hair, where a little thread of blood began to ooze forth.

"That ain't a shot wound," growled Shaddy. "Hi! One of you get some water."

One of the boatmen, who had hurried up, ran back toward the stream, and just then Rob opened his lips said peevishly,--

"Don't! Leave off! Will you be quiet? Eh! What's the matter?"

As he spoke he thrust Brazier's hand from his head, opened his eyes and looked round.

"What are you doing?" he cried wonderingly.

"Lower him down, Naylor," whispered Brazier hoa.r.s.ely; and Shaddy was in the act of obeying, but Rob started up into a sitting position, and then sprang to his feet.

"What are you doing, Shaddy?" he cried angrily, as he clapped his hand to his brow, withdrew it, and looked at the stained fingers. "What's the matter with my head?"

He threw it back as he spoke, shook it, and then, as if the mist which troubled his brain had floated away like the smoke from Brazier's gun, he cried:

"I know; I remember. Oh! I say, Mr Brazier, you haven't shot that poor cat?"

"Rob, my boy, pray, pray, pray lie down till we have examined your injuries."

"Nonsense! I'm not hurt," cried the lad--"only knocked my head on a stump. I remember now: I caught my right foot in one of those canes, and pitched forward. Where's the cat?"

He looked round sharply.

"Never mind the wretched beast," cried Brazier. "Tell me, boy: you were not hit?"

"But I do mind," cried Rob. "I wouldn't have had that poor thing shot on any account."

"Are you hurt?" cried Brazier, almost angrily.

"Of course I am, sir. You can't pitch head first on to a stump without hurting yourself. I say, did you hit the cat?"

"Then you were not shot?" cried Brazier.

"Shot? No! Who said I was?"

"Ourai!" shouted the young Italian, with the best imitation he could give of an English hurrah.

"Then I have frightened myself almost to death for nothing," cried Brazier. "How dare you pretend that you were shot!"

"I didn't," cried Rob angrily, for his smarting head exacerbated his temper. "I never pretended anything. I couldn't help tumbling. You shouldn't have fired."

"There, hold your tongue, Mr Rob, sir. It's all right, and instead of you and the guv'nor here getting up a row, it strikes me as you ought both to go down on your knees and be very thankful. A few inches more one way or t'other, and this here expedition would have been all over, and us going back as mizzable men as ever stepped."

The guide's words were uttered in so solemn and forcible a way that Brazier took a step or two forward and caught his hand, pressing it firmly as he looked him full in the eyes.