had drawn ourselves up on to the gentle slope which
spread away evidently for miles, that Pete laid his hand upon my arm and
pointed away to the left.

"Look!" he whispered; "thing like a great cat. There she goes."

But I did not look, for I had caught sight of a couple of birds gliding
through the air as if they were finishing their flight and about to
alight.

"Look there!" I panted excitedly, as I watched for the place where the
birds would pitch, which proved to be out of sight, beyond a clump of
trees.

"This way, Master Nat," whispered Pete.

"No, no; this way," I said hoarsely. And I hurried forward, having to
get over about a hundred yards before I could reach the patch behind
which the birds had disappeared.

My heart beat faster with excitement as well as exertion as I checked my
pace on reaching the trees and began to creep softly along in their
shelter, till all at once there was a harsh scream, followed by a dozen
more, as a little flock of lovely green parroquets took flight, and Pete
stopped short for me to fire.

But I did not; I only kept on, wondering whether the objects of my
search would take fright.

They did the next moment, and I fired at what seemed like a couple of
whirring patches of orange, one of which to my great joy fell, while the
other went right away in a straight line, showing that it had not been
touched.

"That's got him!" cried Pete excitedly. And he ran forward to pick up
the bird, while I began to reload, but stopped in astonishment, for from
some bushes away to the left, in a series of bounds, a magnificent puma
sprang into sight, and seemed to be racing Pete so as to get first to
the fallen bird.

Pete was nearest, and would have been there first, but he suddenly
caught sight of the great active cat and stopped short.

This had the effect of making the puma stop short too, and stand lashing
its tail and staring at Pete as if undecided what to do.

I ought to have behaved differently, but I was as much taken by surprise
as Pete, and I, too, stood staring instead of reloading my gun, while it
never once occurred to the lad that he had one already charged in his
hand.

Suddenly, to my astonishment, he snatched off his straw hat.

"Shoo!" he cried, and sent it skimming through the air at the puma.

The effect was all he desired, for the beautiful animal sprang round and
bounded away towards the nearest patch of forest, Pete after him till he
reached his hat,