Bunyip Land Part 23

I did not like the idea at all, for it seemed like setting a trap and making me the bait; but I said nothing beyond intimating that I would do as he wished, and he went on:

"I shall be certain to hit the brute, but I may not kill, so be ready to fire in turn; you will get a good chance for a sure hit, the animal will be less cautious."

"Stop a moment," I said. "I thought at first that it would be very dangerous for me; now I see that it will be more dangerous for you.

Let's keep together."

"Do as I bid you," he replied sternly. "Now go on round, as if trying to keep the fire between you and danger. Fire quickly if you have a good chance, and don't miss. But first of all let's try the effect of a firebrand or two in the direction you think you saw the brute."

He picked up a piece of blazing wood and gave it a whirl round his head.

The result was to bring a fierce roar from the wood close behind us, and we involuntarily sprang to the other side of our fire.

"There's no knowing where to have the beast," muttered the doctor, as he realised the cunning sneaking habits of our enemy.

As he spoke he stooped and picked up another blazing piece of wood, for he had dropped the first to bring his gun to bear. Now, holding the gun in his left hand, he gave the blazing wood a whirl round his head and threw it in the direction from which the fierce roar had come.

To my horror and consternation it was answered by a savage yell, and something charged out nearly to the fire but dashed back directly, so quickly, indeed, that we had no time to get more than a sharp shot apiece at the fierce creature.

"Load again quickly," whispered the doctor; and I obeyed him, listening the while to the rustling crackling noise at a little distance.

"Do you think we hit it?" I said softly. I was afraid to speak aloud lest it should bring down a charge upon us.

"I'm afraid not," he replied, as he reloaded and then stood scanning the edge of the circle of light formed by the fire's glow.

There was nothing visible but what seemed to be a dark opening amongst the trees, through which it appeared to me that our enemy must have pa.s.sed.

Then we waited, watching so excitedly for the next attack that the fire was for the moment forgotten. Then, seeing the glow it cast become less, we both seized upon armfuls of wood and threw them on, deadening the flame so that the s.p.a.ce around was comparatively dark.

That was the most anxious time of all, for, do what we would, the fire sent forth huge volumes of smoke, but would not blaze. At any moment it seemed that the great beast might take advantage of the gloom and spring upon us, and we shook the ends of the burning branches and half-consumed pieces of wood, but in vain. Instead of the light glow there was comparative darkness, and in despair, as if again moved by the same impulse, we ceased troubling about the fire, and stood with hand on trigger, ready to pull at the first chance.

Then all at once there was a vivid tongue of flame cutting right through the thick smoke, another and another, and I uttered a sigh of relief as the heap of smouldering boughs and leaves burst once more into a blaze.

"Now while the light lasts let's have a good shot at the brute," said the doctor, speaking as if nerved to desperation by the torture under which we both writhed. "I'm going to kneel here, Joe; you walk on, and that will make the tiger, or whatever it is, show itself in watching you."

"It isn't a tiger," I whispered. "I caught sight of it, and it looked more like a man."

The doctor gave me a quick look, and then said sharply, "Go on!"

I obeyed him, walking backwards round the fire, my piece ready, so as to get a shot if I saw the creature again; but this time all remained perfectly still, and though I went right round the fire, no sound came from among the trees.

"Take a piece of burning wood and throw it opposite to where you stand, Joe."

I did so, and the blazing wood described an arc, fell in a tuft of dry undergrowth which burst out into a vivid column of light for a few minutes and died out, but there was no charge, no roar from our enemy, not even the rustling of the bushes as it pa.s.sed through.

"It's very strange, Joe," whispered the doctor. "Pile on more wood."

I obeyed him, and this time it caught directly and there was a tremendous blaze, but no attack followed; and we stood listening for some sound of the enemy in vain.

"You must have shot it," I said, speaking with some confidence.

"Or else you did, Joe," said the doctor.

I shook my head, and we remained listening for quite a quarter of an hour, but still in vain. The silence in the forest was now awful, and though we strained our eyes till the fire across which we looked dazzled them, we could see nothing to cause alarm.

"Either it's dead or it has gone off, scared by our fire," said the doctor at last. And now that we found time to think, he continued, with a smile, "I hope we are not going to have many such night-watches as this on our expedition. I say though, my lad, how some people can sleep! I should have thought that those howls would have wakened anything. Why, hallo! Gyp, didn't you hear anything? Where's your master?"

He stooped and patted the dog, which came trotting up to us, and then yawned and stretched himself out.

"Here I am," said Jack Penny, involuntarily imitating his dog. "Here, where's that chap Jimmy? He was to watch with me, wasn't he? Is it time?"

"Time! Yes," I said impatiently. "You ought to have been here two hours ago. He'll have to look out, won't he, doctor, for that tiger or wild man."

"Yah! stuff!" said Jack with a sneer. "I sha'n't see no--hullo! what has Gyp found? Look, there's something there."

We all turned to see the dog, which had picked up some scent about half-way between the fire and the edge of the circle of light. He ran at once to the thick bushes, barked angrily, and then followed the scent round and round the fire at the distance of about twenty yards, ending by das.h.i.+ng right off into the forest depths, his bark growing fainter as we listened.

"I say, ought we to follow Gyp?" said Jack Penny.

"If we wish to lose our lives," replied the doctor. "You see, Joe, it has gone right off."

"But I don't like Gyp to go off after anything and not follow him,"

cried Jack Penny. "He's a good dog, you know. What is it he's after?"

"Some savage beast that has been haunting us all night," cried the doctor. "I should like to follow Gyp, but it would be madness, my lads, and--hark, what's that?"

I felt cold as a most unearthly howl came from a long distance away.

"Is--is that him?" said Jack, whose eyes looked round and large.

"Dat big bunyip," said a voice that made us start, for Jimmy had come up from the dark camp unperceived. "Eat black fellow, white man, anyfing."

No one replied to Jimmy's piece of information, and we listened for some minutes till a faint rustling, heard first by the black, who stood ready to hurl his spear, made us all place a finger on the trigger.

But it was only caused by the dog, who soon after came into sight, with his tail between his legs, and his hair bristling with terror.

He ran right to his master and stood behind him, s.h.i.+vering and whining, as he stared in the direction from which he had come.

"Gyp see big bunyip!" cried Jimmy. "Gyp find a bunyip!"

"I say," said Jack; "it's my watch now. I s'pose you two are going to lie down."

"Frightened, Jack?" I said maliciously.

"P'r'aps I am, and p'r'aps I ain't," said Jack stoutly. "I should say I felt frightened if I was; but if you two were going to watch I wouldn't go away and leave you with a big beast like that about. He must be a big one or he wouldn't have frightened Gyp, who'll tackle old man kangaroos six-foot high. You can go if you like, though."

This was a long speech for Jack Penny, who rubbed one of his ears in an ill-used way.

"Jimmy, black fellow 'fraid um bunyip; oh, yes!" said my follower; "but Jimmy no run away."