Part 26 (1/2)

Without pausing to think, Walter had discharged both barrels of his shotgun at the huddled animals.

The effect was not what he had antic.i.p.ated. The shot glanced harmlessly off their thick hides, and with grunts of rage, the whole drove charged for the smoke and sound.

”Get up a tree,” shouted Charley, as he noted the effects of the shot.

Walter did not wait for a second bidding but swung himself up the nearest tree which happened to be a huge spreading live oak. Charley swarmed up after him in such haste that he dropped his rifle at the foot of the tree. He was not a moment too soon for a large boar made a lunge for his legs just as he drew them up.

”Now we are in for it,” he exclaimed in disgust as he found a comfortable seat in the fork of a limb.

”Oh, I guess they'll soon get tired and go away,” Walter said cheerfully.

But the boars seemed to have no such intention. They ranged themselves around the foot of the tree as they had around the venison and sat looking longingly up among the branches.

”I am going to try a shot at that big fellow that seems to be the boss of the gang,” said Walter after an hour had dragged away without the animals showing any signs of leaving.

”Don't do it,” Charley advised, ”you can't kill him with that small calibered revolver, and it will only make them madder than ever.”

Walter put back his revolver with a sigh. ”I guess you're right,” he admitted, ”but, I declare, it makes me mad the way that big brute is leering up at me.”

Wearily the hours dragged away, the boys getting cramped and weary in the tree, and the besiegers showing no sign of abatement in their interest.

The darkness found two, very tired, hungry boys seated in the tree while the boars still grunted in a circle around them.

With the rising of the moon came the distant tolling of the chapel bell and the boys looked worriedly at each other.

”The captain and Chris will be frightened to death with that thing tolling and we absent,” Walter said.

”Yes, the captain will be sure to believe that we are all dead,”

Charley agreed. ”There is something unearthly about that ringing, but of course there is a natural cause for it if we could only discover it.”

”After our experience last night I am almost ready to agree with the captain and Chris,” said Walter.

”Except for its worrying those two, I would not mind it in the least,”

Charley declared. ”I am more upset by our position here. I guess we will have to stay all night, those fellows below show no signs of leaving.”

”What's that?” cried Walter, excitedly.

CHAPTER XXVII.

A TERRIBLE NIGHT.

A shrill piercing scream, like the cry of a tortured soul, rang out of the forest, rising clear and trembling above the tolling of the bell and the noises of the night.

The boys looked at each other with white, frightened faces.

”A panther,” Charley cried, ”a panther, and we penned up here helpless as babes.”

”Look,” said Walter, eagerly, ”look at the boars.”