any signs of leaving.

"Don't do it," Charley advised, "you can't kill him with that small
calibered revolver, and it will only make them madder than ever."

Walter put back his revolver with a sigh. "I guess you're right," he
admitted, "but, I declare, it makes me mad the way that big brute is
leering up at me."

Wearily the hours dragged away, the boys getting cramped and weary in
the tree, and the besiegers showing no sign of abatement in their
interest.

The darkness found two, very tired, hungry boys seated in the tree
while the boars still grunted in a circle around them.

With the rising of the moon came the distant tolling of the chapel bell
and the boys looked worriedly at each other.

"The captain and Chris will be frightened to death with that thing
tolling and we absent," Walter said.

"Yes, the captain will be sure to believe that we are all dead,"
Charley agreed. "There is something unearthly about that ringing, but
of course there is a natural cause for it if we could only discover it."

"After our experience last night I am almost ready to agree with the
captain and Chris," said Walter.

"Except for its worrying those two, I would not mind it in the least,"
Charley declared. "I am more upset by our position here. I guess we
will have to stay all night, those fellows below show no signs of
leaving."

"What's that?" cried Walter, excitedly.

CHAPTER XXVII.

A TERRIBLE NIGHT.

A shrill piercing scream, like the cry of a tortured soul, rang out of
the forest, rising clear and trembling above the tolling of the bell
and the noises of the night.

The boys looked at each other with white, frightened faces.

"A panther," Charley cried, "a panther, and we penned up here helpless
as babes."

"Look," said Walter, eagerly, "look at the boars."

The great animals were stirring uneasily and their hoarse, threatening
grunts had dropped to a kind of frightened whine. Again the scream
rose shrill and clear, and, with a grunt of fear, the big leader
charged into the forest followed by the rest.

"They are afraid of the panther, and I don't blame them," Charley
exclaimed. "Come, we must get out of here in a hurry."

The boys slid to the ground as fast as their stiffened limbs would
permit, picked up Charley's rifle, and hastily cutting down the
venison, plunged out of the forest onto the prairie.

The screams, rapidly drawing nearer, hastened their footsteps, but,
fast as they travele