n to back away, dragging the body toward the spot
from which it had made its bound.

"Let it be, Mr Rob, sir. The thing's sure to be savage if you meddle
with its food. We can do without it, and there's no time to spare.
Come along."

There was a fierce growl as Shaddy went on, and Rob followed him; but on
looking back he saw that the puma was following, dragging the little
deer, and after a few steps it took a fresh hold, flung it over its
back, followed them for a few minutes, and then disappeared.

They had enough to do to find their way now, for darkness was coming on
fast, and before long Shaddy stopped short.

"It's of no use, my lad," he said. "I'm very sorry, but we've drove it
too late. The more we try the farther we shall get in the wood."

"What do you mean to do, then?" said Rob, wearily.

"Light a fire, and get some boughs together for a bed."

"Oh, Shaddy, don't you think we might reach camp if we went on?" cried
Rob, despairingly.

"Well, we'll try, Mr Rob, sir; but I'm afraid not. Now, if your friend
there would be a good comrade and bring in our supper, we could roast
it, and be all right here, but he won't, so we'll try to get along. We
shall be no worse off farther on, only we may be cutting ourselves out
more work when it's day. Shall we try?"

"Yes, try," said Rob; and he now took the lead, on the chance of finding
the way. A quarter of an hour later, just as he was about to turn and
give up, ready for lighting a fire to cook nothing, but only too glad of
the chance of throwing himself down to rest, Shaddy uttered a cheery
cry.

"Well done, Mr Rob, sir!" he said. "You're right. Camp's just ahead."

"What! How do you know?"

"By that big, flop-branched tree, with the great supports like stays. I
remember it as well as can be. Off to the right, sir, and in a quarter
of an hour we shall be in the clearing."

"Unless that's one of thousands of trees that grow like it," said Rob
sadly, as he pressed on.

"Nay, sir, I could swear to that one, sir, dark as it is. Now, you look
up in five minutes, and see if you can't make out stars."

Rob said nothing, but tramped on, forcing his way among trees which he
only avoided now by extending his bow and striking to right and left.

Five minutes or so afterwards he cast up his eyes, but without expecting
to see anything, when a flash of hope ran through him, and he shouted
joyfully,--

"Stars, Shaddy, stars!" and as a grunt of sat