ssums, deer, and a wild-cat, to say nothing
of the thousands of birds."

"Yes, it's a sportsman's paradise," agreed Charley, "it has probably
not been hunted since the Spaniards' time. Likely these wild creatures
have never seen a human being before."

The boys had been pushing onward into the forest as they talked. By
the growing denseness of the jungle they surmised that they were
approaching the island's shore. This surmise proved correct, for about
a quarter of an hour after leaving their lunching place, they came out
on the bank directly opposite where they had landed on the island.

This shore was very much like the other and the boys soon began to
retrace their steps.

As they neared the place where they had left their venison hung in a
tree, their ears were greeted with a curious sound of mingled grunt and
growl.

With their guns ready for instant use, the boys crept cautiously
forward. An exclamation burst from them as they came in sight of the
tree. Squatted round it in an angry, eager circle was a drove of at
least twenty wild boars; great, fierce-looking animals with dangerous
looking tusks. They were sniffing longingly, and looking up at the
suspended meat.

"Don't shoot, Walt," cried Charley, but his warning came too late.

Without pausing to think, Walter had discharged both barrels of his
shotgun at the huddled animals.

The effect was not what he had anticipated. The shot glanced
harmlessly off their thick hides, and with grunts of rage, the whole
drove charged for the smoke and sound.

"Get up a tree," shouted Charley, as he noted the effects of the shot.

Walter did not wait for a second bidding but swung himself up the
nearest tree which happened to be a huge spreading live oak. Charley
swarmed up after him in such haste that he dropped his rifle at the
foot of the tree. He was not a moment too soon for a large boar made a
lunge for his legs just as he drew them up.

"Now we are in for it," he exclaimed in disgust as he found a
comfortable seat in the fork of a limb.

"Oh, I guess they'll soon get tired and go away," Walter said
cheerfully.

But the boars seemed to have no such intention. They ranged themselves
around the foot of the tree as they had around the venison and sat
looking longingly up among the branches.

"I am going to try a shot at that big fellow that seems to be the boss
of the gang," said Walter after an hour had dragged away without the
animals showing