Rob Harlow

“ All at once, when he was about twenty yards away from where Brazier was standing, Rob saw him start, raise his gun, and cock it as he glared wildly at his young companion.
“Anything the matter, sir?” cried Rob, hastening his steps.
“Yes!” cried Brazier hoarsely. “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 grass and thick growth, but had been following and watching him ever since he had seen it leap into the bushes. ”

“ The sun grew higher, and the heat more intense, the slightest movement as they approached noon making a dew break out over Rob’s brow; but the warmth was forgotten in the beauty of the shore and the abundance of life visible around.
But at last the heat produced such a sense of drowsiness that Rob turned to Joe.
“I say, wouldn’t an hour or two be nice under the shade of a tree?”
“Yes,” said Brazier, who had overheard him. “We must have a rest now; the sides of the boat are too hot to touch. Hullo! where are we going?” he continued. “Why, he’s steering straight for the western shore.” ”

“ At that moment there was a shout from out of the forest, and Rob started round as if thinking it might be their young companion, but the cry was not repeated; a shrill whistle came instead.
Brazier answered it with a whistle attached to his knife.
“It was only Shaddy,” groaned Rob. “Mr Brazier, you don’t know,” he continued. “We two had quarrelled, and had not made friends, and now, poor fellow, he is gone.”
“No, I will not believe it yet,” cried Brazier; “for aught we know, he may have escaped. He is too clever and quick a lad not to make a desperate effort to escape. ”

“ Then there was a pause, during which the puma crouched down above Rob’s head, uttering from time to time a low growl, as it watched the jaguar, which began passing its paws alternately over its wounded head and licking them, exactly as a cat would have done on a rug before the fire.
“Doesn’t look like a fight now,” whispered Rob.
“Not just now, sir; he has hauled off to repair damages, and he wants all his strength and lissomeness to tackle a great worm like that. Wait a bit, and you’ll see.” ”

“ Coming out?”
“Yes; wait till I wake Mr Brazier.”
“Nay; let him be till we’ve got breakfast ready, my lad. He looked regularly done up last night. He can’t bear it all like young chaps such as we.”
Rob laughed, and then a cloud came over him as he stepped out into the soft grey morning, for he had caught sight of the hurrying river, and this brought up the boat and the loss of his companion and friend.
“Look here, Mr Rob,” said Shaddy, changing the current of the boy’s thoughts directly, “I’ve been thinking out that bow and arrow business.” ”

“ Look, Mr Brazier, sir. That is something like a snake.”
He pointed now to where a huge serpent was worming its way about the boughs of one of the trees in a slow, sluggish way, as if trying to find a spot where it could curl up and be at rest till the water, which had driven it from its customary haunts, had subsided.
“What shall we do, Shaddy?” whispered Rob. “Why, that must be nearly sixty feet long.”
“It’s nearer two foot long, Mr Rob, sir. My word! how people’s eyes do magnify when they’re a bit scared.” ”

“ 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 butting 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. ”

“ Now then, sir, we’ve got to go straight back the way we came, and find him.”
“You’ll go right back to where the spots—I mean, where we found the piece of string?” whispered Rob, whose feeling of weariness seemed to disappear at once.
“Yes, sir, straight back as an arrow, and it’s of no use to hide facts; you must take your place as a man now, and act like one, having the hard with the soft, so I shall speak plainly.”
“You need not, Shaddy,” said Rob sadly. “You are afraid he has been badly hurt and carried off by Indians—perhaps killed.”
“Nay, my lad; that’s making worse of it than I thought. ”

“ There’s only one way out of it, and that is to do as I say; you stand fast, and I’ll cast about like a dog does after losing the scent till I find the right track. Only mind this: if I don’t have you to guide me back with whistle and shout I shall be lost more and more.”
“You are right, Naylor,” said Brazier; “we leave ourselves in your hands. Go on.”
“Cheer up, Mr Rob, sir; don’t be down-hearted. I shall find the way out of it yet.”
“I was not thinking about myself, Shaddy,” said Rob in a choking voice. “I was thinking about poor Joe.” ”

“ It was hard work to get through the low tangled growth out there in the sunlight; and before he was half-way there he stumbled and nearly fell, but gathered himself up with a faint cry of fear, for there was a low growl and a rush, as something bounded out, and he just caught a glimpse of the long lithe tawny body of a puma as it sprang into a fresh tangle of bush and reed, while Rob stood fast, and then turned to look at Shaddy. ”

“ The more we try the farther we shall get in the wood.”
“What do you mean to do, then?” said Rob, wearily.
“Light a fire, and get some boughs together for a bed.”
“Oh, Shaddy, don’t you think we might reach camp if we went on?” cried Rob, despairingly.
“Well, we’ll try, Mr Rob, sir; but I’m afraid not. Now, if your friend there would be a good comrade and bring in our supper, we could roast it, and be all right here, but he won’t, so we’ll try to get along. We shall be no worse off farther on, only we may be cutting ourselves out more work when it’s day. Shall we try?” ”

“ They can’t hit out straight and honest, but clings and cuddles and wrastles. Soon as ever you began he’d fly at you, and tie his arms and legs about you in knots, and hamper you so that you couldn’t keep your balance, and as there’s no room in the boat, you’d be ketching your toe somewhere, and over you’d go. If I were you, Mr Rob, sir, I wouldn’t fight him.”
“Will you leave off talking all that stupid nonsense, Shaddy?” cried Rob angrily as he began now polishing his head and face with the towel. “Who is going to fight? ”

“ An International Quarrel.
“What’s the matter, Rob?” said Brazier, as he turned suddenly from where he had been laying various articles of clothing out in the warm sunshine to dry and found the two lads seated together in silence, Rob with his elbows on the side of the boat and his chin in his, hands, gazing back ashore.
“I can’t get a word out of him, sir,” said Joe. “I think it’s because the lion was left behind.”
“Nonsense! Rob is not so childish as to fret after a toy he cannot have. Come, my lad, there is plenty to do. We must make use of the evening sun to get everything possible dry. ”

“ They began eating directly, washing down the savoury roast with handfuls of clear water scooped up from the stream which bubbled and foamed by in its rocky bed.
“Well, now look at that!” cried Shaddy the next minute, as with one tremendous bound the puma alighted just before them, and stood looking at Rob and lashing its tail. “Why, he must have come after us all the time. Trust an animal for smelling meat.”
Rob shared his portion with the great cat, which also crunched up the bones. ”

“ If he’s alive still you couldn’t reach him that way.”
“If he’s alive!” groaned Rob.
“If he’s alive,” said Shaddy, repeating his words. “Steady a moment! He may be up in one of the boughs, for he’s as active as a monkey in rigging and trees.” ”

“ And look at the puma: he heard it too. Didn’t you see it start and leave the fish?”
“Yes, but I thought I startled it. He’s very suspicious of me, and I don’t suppose we shall ever be good friends.”
“No, it was not that,” whispered Rob, whose voice trembled as if he were alarmed.
“Then it was some beast in the forest. There they are, any number of them. Frog perhaps, or an owl: they make very queer sounds.”
Rob shook his head.
“I say, don’t look so scared, my lad, just as if you were going to be ill. I tell you what it was: one of those howling spider monkeys at a distance.” ”

“ That was only bird shot you fired, was it, my lads?”
“Number 5,” said Rob promptly.
“Thought so. Best keep a bullet always in your guns, gentlemen, out here, for you never know what’s going to turn up next.”
The Indians were back now, going about picking wood for the fire as if nothing whatever had happened.
“But that man,” whispered Rob; “isn’t he hurt—clawed?”
“No, sir,” replied Shaddy calmly; and he asked a question of the man in the mixed Indian tongue. Then turning to Brazier, “Only got the wind knocked, out of him a bit, sir. No clawing. He don’t mind.” ”

“ Rob looked reproachfully at Joe, and began to hurry himself directly, his movement bringing him in contact with Shaddy, who was dividing his time between keeping a sharp look-out along the shore for a good halting-place suitable for making a fire, giving instructions to his men, and using a sponge with which to sop up every trace of moisture he could find within the boat.
“There, Mr Rob, sir,” he said as he gave the sponge a final squeeze over the side, “I think that’ll about do. It’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good. ”

“ Every day brings its own trouble.”
“Yes,” said Brazier solemnly; “and every morning brings with it fresh hope.”
“Hope!” thought Rob; “hope, shut up here in the middle of this waste of water—in this tree, with a little food, a wild beast, and that horrible serpent looking as if it is waiting to snatch us all away one by one. How can a fellow hope?”
It was a time to think about home and the chances of ever getting back in safety, and Rob found it impossible to help wishing himself on board the great river boat as the evening drew near. ”

“ Once or twice during the night Mr Brazier had seemed so cold and rigid that Rob had glanced wildly at the guide, who replied by feeling the insensible man’s feet.
“Only sleep, my lad!” he said softly. “I daresay he will not come to for a couple of days. A man can’t pass through the horror of being lost without going off his head more or less.” ”

“ The cry, which thrilled Rob and made Brazier and the young Italian seize their weapons, came from one of the Indians, who, axe in hand, had been about to cut up a dead bough he had seized for the fire, when something dark struck him in the chest, sending him backward amongst the low growth, and a magnificent cat-like animal bounded into the middle of the opening, driving the boatmen among the trees and taking up its position in the bright sunshine, with its coat glistening and the brown spots on its tawny hide shining with almost metallic lustre. ”

“ Besides, I don’t care for you to go alone.”
“Very well, sir,” said Rob quietly; “only we couldn’t go far and be lost. Shall we take Shaddy with us?”
“No; I wish you to stay in the boat this evening, and I’m going to call the men on board as soon as they have well made up the fire. There are savage beasts about, and we don’t want more trouble than we can help.”
Rob looked disappointed, but he said nothing, and went right forward to where Shaddy was busy washing out one of the guns ”

“ Shaddy laughed, and without another word forced his way again in among the trees.
“I give up,” said Brazier in despair. “It is too confusing for ordinary brains. I could have taken an oath that he was wrong.”
He answered a whistle, and they stood waiting till the crackling and rustling made by their guide’s passage ceased.
“I couldn’t have believed that we came so far,” said Rob, breaking the silence.
“I don’t think we did come very far, Rob,” replied Brazier; “it is only that the place is so hopelessly puzzling and intricate. Time is getting on, too. We must not be overtaken by the night.” ”

“ I never heard of a puma meddling with a man.”
“Then Mr Brazier is not there?” said Rob faintly.
“Why, of course he ain’t,” replied the man sourly. “Come along, sir, and let’s see if he’s in the hut.”
They rushed to their newly thatched-in shelter, and Rob seized the side and peered in, where all was black darkness to him, coming as he did from the brilliant sunshine.
“Mr Brazier,” he cried huskily; but there was no reply. “Mr Brazier,” he shouted, “why don’t you answer?”
“’Cause he ain’t there, my lad,” said Shaddy gruffly. “Here, wait till I’ve doctored this iguana thing and hung it up. ”

“ Rob looked at him reproachfully, for he was thinking of Giovanni being snatched away from them, and then of the loss of the boat.
Brazier read his face, and held out his hand, which Rob eagerly grasped.
“Cheer up, my lad,” said Shaddy, following suit. “One never knows what’s going to happen; so let’s look at the best side of things. There, gen’lemen, it’s going to be a fine warm time, and we know it might have been a drowning storm like it was last night; so that’s better for us. ”

“ You’ll have to be careful about that.”
“Why?” said Rob, eagerly. “The wild beasts?”
“They’re the least trouble, sir,” replied Shaddy. “It’s the getting lost. A man who is lost in these forests may almost as well lie down and die at once out of his misery, for there’s no chance of his getting back again.”
“I’m afraid you try to make the worst of things, Naylor,” said Brazier, smiling. “Well, I’ll take my position at the corner yonder while you lads fish.”
Rob felt as if he would far rather try his luck with a gun, for he wanted to practise shooting ”