ether he had
done wisely in accompanying Martin Brazier, an old friend of his father,
who, partly for profit, but more for the advancement of science, had
made his arrangements for this adventurous journey. But it was too late
now to recede, even had he wished to do so. In fact, had any one talked
of his return, he would have laughed at him as a proposer of something
absurd.

"I suppose it comes natural to most boys to long for adventures and to
see foreign countries," he thought to himself, and then he went mentally
over the scene with Giovanni.

"Joe is as eager as I was," he muttered, and then he started, for
something swept by his face.

"What's matter, my lad?" said Shaddy quietly.

"I--I don't know, something--There it goes again, some bird. An owl, I
think, flew past my face. There, it skimmed just over our heads with a
fluttering noise."

"I heard it, lad--bat, big 'un. Put your toes in your pockets if you
haven't got on your shoes."

"What do you mean?"

"It's a blood-sucker--wampire, that's all."

"But that's all nonsense," said Rob, with a slight shudder, "a
traveller's tale."

"Oh, is it, boy? You'll see one of these times when we wake in the
morning. They come in the night and suck your blood."

"Oh, that can't be true?"

"Why not? Get out, will you?" said Shaddy gruffly, as he made a blow at
the great leathern-winged creature that kept fluttering about their
heads. "He smells his supper, and is trying for a chance. You don't
believe it, then?"

"No."

"Humph! Well, you've a right to your own opinion, my lad," said Shaddy
quietly, "but I suppose you believe that if you dabbled your legs in the
water a leech might fix on you and suck your blood?"

"Oh yes; I've had many on me in England."

"And you've had skeeters on you and maybe sucked your blood here?"

"Yes."

"Then why can't you believe as a bat wouldn't do the same?"

Rob found the argument unanswerable.

"It's true enough, my lad. They'll lay hold on a fellow's toe or thumb,
ay, and on horses too. I've known 'em quite weak with being sucked so
much night after night."

"Horses? Can they get through a horse's thick skin?"

Shaddy chuckled.

"Why, dear lad," he said, "a horse has got a skin as tender as a man's,
so just you 'member that next time you spurs or whips them."

Rob sat in silence, thinking, with the weird sounds increasing for a
time; and, in spite of his efforts, it was impossible to keep down a