isfaction came from behind,
he raised his voice to the highest pitch he could command, and roared
out, "Mr Brazier I Mr Brazier! Ahoy!"

Shaddy took up the cry in stentorian tones--

"Ahoy! Ahoy! Ahoy!" and the shout was answered.

"There he is!" cried Rob, joyfully. "Hurrah!"

Shaddy was silent.

"Didn't you hear, Shaddy? Mr Brazier answered. You are right: he did
get back, after all."

Still Shaddy remained silent, only increasing his pace in the darkness,
lightened now by the stars which overarched them, so as to keep up with
Rob's eager strides.

"Why don't you speak, man? Let's shout again: Mr Brazier! Ahoy!"

"Mr Brazier! Ahoy!" came back faintly.

"I don't like to damp you, Mr Rob, sir," said Shaddy, sadly, "but you
don't see as we're out in the clearing again. That's only the echo from
the trees across the river. He isn't here."

"No," said Rob, with a groan; "he isn't here."

Just then there was a rustling sound behind them, and a low growl,
followed by a strange sound which Rob understood at once.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

THE FOUR-FOOTED FRIEND.

The lad said nothing, so great was the change from hope to despondency;
and he hardly noticed the sound close beside him, as Shaddy said
gruffly--

"Well, if any one had told me that, I wouldn't have believed it!"

"Is it any use to shout again, Shaddy?" said Rob, as he looked down at
the indistinctly-seen shape of the dull tawny-coated puma, which had
carried its captive after them to the clearing, and had now quietly lain
down to its feast.

"No, Mr Rob, sir; if he's here, it's in the shelter-place we made,
utterly done up with tramping. Let's go and see."

It was no easy task to get even there in the darkness, but they soon
after stood at the end, and Rob convinced himself in a few moments that
they were alone.

"Oh, Shaddy!" he cried piteously, "he hasn't come back. What can we do
to find him?"

"I'll show you, sir," said the man, quietly. "First thing is to make up
the fire."

"For him to see? Yes; that's right."

"Man couldn't see the fire many yards away in the wood, Mr Rob, sir. I
meant for us, so as to roast a bit of that deer, if the lion'll let us
have it."

"I must do something to help Mr Brazier!" said Rob, angrily.

"That's helping him, my lad--having a good meal to make us strong.
After that we'll have a good sleep to make us rested."

"Oh, no! no!" cried Rob, angrily.

"But I say yes, yes, yes, sir