caught hold of me tightly, for from somewhere in front there came a
low snarling roar, which I had never before heard; but report had told
of different savage creatures which came down from the hills sometimes,
mountain lions, as the settlers called them, and to face one of these
creatures in the dark was too much for my nerves.

"It's unlucky," I said to Pomp; "but we can't get back to-night. We had
better get out from among the trees."

Pomp wanted no second hint; he was behind, and he turned at once, and
led the way back to the sandy bluff, where he stood shivering.

"What was dat, Mass' George?"

"I don't know," I said. "Some kind of great cat, I suppose."

"Pomp tink he know. It great big monkey like in him country. Great big
as fader, and big long arm, an um shout _ooooor_! Like dat."

He uttered as deep-toned a roar as he could, and made a snatch at me
directly and held on, for from out of the forest came an answering roar
that sounded terrific to us, as we stood there shivering with cold and
fear.

"Mass' George! Mass' George!" whispered Pomp, with his lips close to my
ear, "tell um I berry sorry. I no do um no more."

"Hush!" I said, and I stood ready with the gun presented, fully
expecting to see a dark shadowy form crawling over the light-coloured
sand, and trying to get within range for a spring.

But all was still once more, and we waited in expectancy for some
minutes before there was a great floundering splash in the water to our
right; and then away to the left where the river ran black and
mysterious in the night--where all was bright and beautiful by day--
there came evidently from three different parts as many bellows, such as
must have been given by alligators of great size.

"Come 'long, Mass' George," whispered Pomp.

"No," I said, "we must wait till day."

"Dey come and hab us bofe, Mass' George, we 'top here. Come 'long."

"But it is impossible."

"Yes, Mass' George, um possible; come and get up dat big tree."

The proposition seemed so much in unison with my feelings that I
followed my companion at once, and he paused under a great oak a little
farther from the river, and beyond the bluff.

"Dah, Mass' George, make base up an' let me come. I dreffle frighten."

"Then go first."

"No, Mass' George, you go firs', you de mas'r."

"Then I order you to go first, Pomp," I said.

"Den we bofe clime up togedder, Mass' George. You go one way, and Pomp
go oder way."

T