Part 95 (1/2)
He stopped and listened to a peculiar sound which he kneas the forcing down of a wad in a gun-barrel Then the strange hissing noise was continued, and he could tell by the sounds that three guns were being loaded
The natives, as far as he knew, had no guns, therefore these must be a party of sailors sent to shoot the seen and made the mark for a bullet, Don was about to creep cautiously into a denser part of the bush, when he stopped short, asking himself whether he was in a dream
”All primed?” cried a hoarse voice, which made Don wonder whether he was back in his uncle's yard at Bristol
”Ay, ay”
”Coht one of 'em down Sha'n't want no more meat for a month”
”Say, mate, what are they?”
”I d'know Noo Zealand turkeys, I s'pose”
”Who ever heard of turkey eight or nine foot high!” growled one of the approaching party
”Never mind who heard of 'em; we've seen 'eht to be about here”
”More to the left, warn't it, mate?”
”Nay, it was just about here”
There was a loud rustling and heavy breathing as if ain--the man whose voice had startled Don
”I say, lads, you sawone down?”
”I saw you shoot at it, Mikey; but it don't seeht it down They one off under the bushes”
”But they was too big for that”
”Nay, not they Looked big in the ”
”I don't care; I see that great bird quite plain, and I'm sure I hit him, and he fell somewhere--hah!”
There was the sharp _click_, _click_ of a gun being cocked, and a voice roared out,--
”Here, you, Mike Bannock, don't shootthe ferns, and then Jeati! Why--hoi--oh! It's all right!”
The familiar voice--the name Mike Bannock, and Je more than ever whether this was not a dreahter, and after answering Je under a tree in co men