Rob Harlow's Adventures: A Story of the Grand Chaco

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

  THE FOUR-FOOTED FRIEND.

  The lad said nothing, so great was the change from hope to despondency;and he hardly noticed the sound close beside him, as Shaddy saidgruffly--

  "Well, if any one had told me that, I wouldn't have believed it!"

  "Is it any use to shout again, Shaddy?" said Rob, as he looked down atthe indistinctly-seen shape of the dull tawny-coated puma, which hadcarried its captive after them to the clearing, and had now quietly laindown to its feast.

  "No, Mr Rob, sir; if he's here, it's in the shelter-place we made,utterly done up with tramping. Let's go and see."

  It was no easy task to get even there in the darkness, but they soonafter stood at the end, and Rob convinced himself in a few moments thatthey were alone.

  "Oh, Shaddy!" he cried piteously, "he hasn't come back. What can we doto find him?"

  "I'll show you, sir," said the man, quietly. "First thing is to make upthe fire."

  "For him to see? Yes; that's right."

  "Man couldn't see the fire many yards away in the wood, Mr Rob, sir. Imeant for us, so as to roast a bit of that deer, if the lion'll let ushave it."

  "I must do something to help Mr Brazier!" said Rob, angrily.

  "That's helping him, my lad--having a good meal to make us strong.After that we'll have a good sleep to make us rested."

  "Oh, no! no!" cried Rob, angrily.

  "But I say yes, yes, yes, sir!" said Shaddy, firmly. "I know what youfeel, my lad, and it's quite nat'ral; but just hark ye here a moment.Can we do anything to find him in that black darkness to-night?"

  "No," said Rob, in despair; "it is, I know, impossible."

  "Quite right, my lad. Then as soon as it's daylight oughtn't we to beready to go and help him?"

  "Of course, Shaddy."

  "Then how can we do most good,--as half-starved, worn-out fellows,without an ounce of pluck between us, or well-fed, strong, andrefreshed, ready to tramp any number of hours, and able to carry him ifit came to the worst? Answer me that."

  "Come and light the fire, Shaddy," said Rob, quietly.

  "Ah!" ejaculated the old sailor, and he led the way to where the emberslay, warm still, and with plenty of dry wood about. Five minutes afterthe fire was blazing merrily and illumining the scene.

  "Now," cried Shaddy, "if your Tom would play fair, and let us have thehind-quarters of that deer, we might have it instead of the lizard.He'll only eat the neck, I daresay. Shall we try him? I don't thinkhe'd show fight at you, sir."

  "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 wherethey had left the puma feasting upon the deer, but, to the surprise ofboth, there lay the carcass 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 justacross the loins, separating the vertebrae at the first thrust, butstarted back directly, as a low and fierce growl came from the edge ofthe forest, where they could see a pair of fiery eyes lit up by theblaze they had left behind.

  "I know," cried Shaddy; "he was scared off by our fire, but he don'twant to lose his supper. What shall we do, Mr Rob? Two more cuts, andI could draw the hind-quarters away. I'll try it."

  The puma was silent, and Shaddy slowly approached his hand, thrust inhis 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 watchingthem, with the fire again reflected in its eyes.

  "He don't mean mischief, Mr Rob, sir," said Shaddy. "I'll have anothertry. 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 strongto-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 wouldto a dog, it might take his attention, and so we'd get the hind partclear off."

  "Yes," said Rob, quietly. "Shall I walk to it?"

  "No, I wouldn't do that, but go a little way off sidewise, just keepingyour distance, talking all the while, and he'd follow you with hiseyes."

  Rob nodded, and turned off, as Shaddy crept close once more andstretched out his hand.

  "Now!" he said; and Rob began to call the beast, fervently hoping thatit would not come, but to his horror it did; and he could just dimlymake out its shape, looking misty and dim in the firelight, with itseyes glowing and its tail writhing, as it slowly approached, while Robwalked farther away from his companion still.

  All at once the puma stopped short, swung itself round, and, to Rob'shorror, crouched, bounded back toward where the carcass lay, leapingright to it, and burying its jaws in the deer's neck with a savagesnarl.

  "Run, Shaddy," shouted Rob.

  "It's all right, my lad," came from a little distance: "I did. I've gotour half, and he's got his. Speak to him gently, and leave him to hissupper. 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, werefrizzling over the clear embers and emitting an appetising odour, whichtaught the boy how hungry he was; and as they were cooking, Shaddytalked of how tame he had known pumas to be, and of how they seemed totake to man.

  "I wouldn't trust a tiger the length of his tail," he said, as theyraked hot coals nearer to the roasting meat; "but I should never feelskeart of a lion, so long as I didn't get fighting him. Strikes me thatafter a fashion you might get that chap kind of tame. Shouldn't wonderif, when he's done, he comes and lies down here for a warm."

  Rob thought of his former night's experience, when something came andnestled near him; and the next minute he was doing the same as thepuma--partaking of the nourishing meat, every mouthful seeming to givehim fresh strength.

  It was a rough, but enjoyable meal, nature making certain demands whichhad to be satisfied; and for the moment, as he fell to after his longfast, Rob forgot his boyish companion and the second loss he hadsustained. But as soon as he had finished, the depression came back,and he felt ashamed of himself for having enjoyed his food instead ofdwelling upon some means of finding out where Mr Brazier had strayed.

  His attention was taken off, though, directly by Shaddy, who saidslowly:

  "That's better. Nothing like a good honest meal for setting a man goingagain and making him ready to think and work. I say, look yonder atyour tom-cat."

  The fire had just fallen together, and was blazing up so as to spread acircle of light for some distance round; and upon looking in thedirection of the puma Rob could see it lying down feasting away upon itsshare of the deer, apparently quite confident that it was in theneighbourhood of friends, and not likely to be saluted with a shot.

  It struck Rob that the animal must be pretty well satisfied now withfood, 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--afterdinner. I'd be careful, though, my lad."

  "Yes; I'll take care," said Rob, who felt a strong desire to findanother friend out there in the wilderness, now that his companions weredropping away; and thinking that the time might come when he would bequite alone, he walked slowly toward where the puma was crunching upsome of the tender bones of the deer.

  Rob kept a little to one side, so that his shadow should not fall uponthe animal, which paid no heed to his approach for a few moments; thenuttered a low fierce snarl and laid down its ears, making the boy stopshort and feel ready to retreat, as the animal suddenly sprang up andstood lashing its tail and licking its lips. But it made no
furthermenacing sign, and walked quietly toward him and then stood waiting.

  Rob hesitated. Nature suggested flight, but Rob wanted to tame thebeast, and mastering his dread he advanced, and in spite of a warningadmonition from Shaddy, took another step or two and stopped by thepuma, which stared at him intently for a few moments. It then set alldoubts as to its feelings at rest by suddenly butting its head againstRob's leg, and as the lad bent down and patted it, threw itself on oneside, and with the playful action of a kitten curved its paws, made dabswith them at the lad's foot, and ended by holding it and rubbing itshead against his boot.

  "Well done, beast tamer!" cried Shaddy; and the puma threw up its headdirectly and stared in the direction of the sound; but a touch fromRob's hand quieted it, and it stretched itself out and lay with its eyeshalf closed, apparently thoroughly enjoying the caresses of its humanfriend.

  "Better get to the shelter, Mr Rob, sir," said Shaddy suddenly; andafter a final pat and stroke, the boy turned away from the puma andwalked back to the fire, finding that the animal had sprung up andfollowed him directly for about half the distance, but only to stopshort 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 Imay as well be friends too. Try and bring him up. He won't be a badcompanion, '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 guidegrimly. "He's cunning, as all cats are; and some day, when he's hungryand is enjoying you, he'll say to himself--`This is a deal better thanthat tough old sailor, who'd taste strong of tar and bilge.' Here, whatare you going to do?"

  "Try and fetch him here," said Rob, smiling as he went close up to thepuma, which crouched again at his approach; and full of confidence now,the lad went down on one knee, patting and stroking the beast for aminute, 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 advanceswith 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'smake up the fire; and then--bed."

  Shaddy quickly piled up a quantity of wood on the embers, beating andsmothering it down, so that they might have it as a protection againstenemies and as a ready friend in the morning. Then, shouldering theportion left of the deer, he led the way to the rough hut, hung the meathigh up in a tree and crept in, Rob following and wondering whether thepuma would stop near them.

  But the animal hung back as Rob followed his companion into the darktriangular-shaped space, where, after a short time devoted tomeditation, he threw himself upon his bed of leaves to lie and think ofhis two lost companions.

  At least, that was his intention, but the moment Rob rose in thedarkness from his knees and lay down with a restful sigh, he droppedinto a deep dreamless sleep, from which he half awoke once to stretchout his hand and feel it rest upon something furry and warm, which hedimly made out to be the curled-up body of the puma. Then he sleptagain till broad daylight showed in through the end of the bough, buthalf 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 tomove, and commenced a vibratory movement as a deep humming purr filledthe place.