256 OUT IN THE NIGHT. 



It cannot be said that Bob was alarmed, though he was puzzled to understand 

 how they could have got beyond each other's hearing in so short a time. It is im- 

 pi-obable that they were far apart at the moment, but the wind was blowing with 

 great force directly across the space between them, and carried his voice away 

 from the ears for which it was intended. 



Bob was shrewd enough to understand the most likely cause of his failure to 

 locate his cousin, though even that seemed hardly sufficient, and he thought an 

 additional reason must exist. 



Finding he could not make himself heard, he turned about and looked at the 

 camp-fire, which was burning at no great distance. He could see figures moving 

 in front of it, and one of them struck him as being that of his cousin. 



" That's it," he said to himself; " Dick has awakened to his blunder and gone 

 back; I'll do the same." 



His situation was such that his view of the camp was unobstructed, the stock- 

 ade being in another direction. It was therefore "clear sailing," as it may be 

 called, and the thought that he would experience any delay did not enter his head 



But Bob had walked only a short distance, when he became convinced that 

 some animal wat. between him and camp, and that it was moving in the same 

 direction. Now anl then it was like a flickering shadow, disappearing so quickly 

 that it was impossible to form any idea of its precise form or nature. 



Thrown in relief for the moment against the saffron flames far beyond, its font 

 was of the most shadowy and indistinct character. 



" I wonder what it can be," he asked himself a dozen times, while moving softly 

 forward; "I'm mighty glad I brought my gun along, but as it is, I don't want to 

 stumble over it. I'm glad, too, that Dick didn't forget his rifle," he added, with 

 never a suspicion that his friend was abroad in the night unarmed. 



The faint flutterings of lightning did little more than make the intense gloom vis- 

 ible. Bob hoped for a flash that would tell him the precise nature of the danger as 

 he believed it to be in front of him, and the thought that such an illumination was 

 likely to come every instant caused him to slacken his pace and advance with the 

 utmost caution. 



It seemed unwise to him, even though well armed, to follow in the track of the 

 animal, and he, therefore, made a wide circuit to the left, with a view of flanking 

 the beast. He continued until he had gone so far that the stockade threatened to 

 interfere with his vision, when he once more started in a direct line, all his senses 

 on the alert. 



In a brief while, the lad feared he had committed a serious blunder, for so long 

 as matters kept the form they had a few minutes before, he held the unknown in 

 front, where he could, to a certain degree, keep it under his eye, but by flanking it f 

 the probabilities were he had given the beast a chance to get behind him, the very 

 situation which a wild animal desires when stealing upon its victim. 



Bob's discomfort was increased by a distinct growl which came from some point 

 near at hand, though, for the life of him, he could not make sure of the direction. 



