rinkled.

"That's right," cried Brazier, clapping him on the shoulder. "Who says
our English boys are not full of pluck?"

He whistled again in response to a signal from Shaddy, and then they
listened and answered in turn for quite half an hour, during which the
guide's whistles and cries came from further and further away, but
sounded as if he were at last keeping about the same distance, and
working round so as to come back in another direction.

Then for a time all signals ceased, and they heard the cry of the wild
beast, followed by quite a chorus of shrieks and chatterings, which
ceased as suddenly as they had begun.

"He has gone too far, Mr Brazier," cried Rob suddenly, a complete
change having come over him, for he was once more full of excitement and
energy.

"I hope not."

"But he is not signalling."

"I'll try again."

Brazier raised the little metal whistle to his lips and gave out a
shrill, keen, penetrating note.

Then they listened, but there was no answer.

Brazier's brow wrinkled, and he refrained from looking at Rob as he once
more raised the whistle to his lips, to obtain for answer the
unmistakable cry of some savage, cat-like creature--jaguar or puma, he
could not tell which.

"No guns! no guns!" he muttered; and moving away from Rob, he opened the
long, sharp blade of his spring knife, one intended for hunting
purposes, and thrust it up his sleeve.

Just then Rob whistled as loudly as he could, and they both listened,
when, to their intense relief, there came a reply far to their left.

"Hurrah!" cried the boy excitedly, and then, "Oh, Mr Brazier, what a
relief!"

Brazier drew a long, deep breath.

"Whistle again, boy," he said; but before Rob could obey there was
another distant whistle, and on this being answered the signals went on
from one to the other for quite half an hour, and at last there was a
breaking and crashing noise, and Shaddy came within speaking distance.

"Hear that lion prowling about?" he shouted.

"Yes, several times."

"Ah, I began to feel as if a gun would be handy. He came too close to
be pleasant."

"What have you found--the river?" cried Brazier.

"No, sir, not yet. I went far enough to be sure it ain't that way."

A few minutes later he forced his way to their side, looking hot and
exhausted.

"Why didn't you answer me when I whistled and shouted?" he cried.

"We did, Shaddy, every time we heard you."

"Nay, my lad, didn't seem to me a