re sometimes so profound
that Peterkin said we should certainly get drowned in them at last, even
although we were such good divers! Nevertheless, we did not allow his
pleasantry on this and similar points to deter us from making our notes
and observations as we went along.

We found several more droves of hogs in the woods, but abstained from
killing any of them, having more than sufficient for our present
necessities. We saw, also, many of their footprints in this
neighbourhood. Among these we also observed the footprints of a smaller
animal, which we examined with much care, but could form no certain
opinion as to them. Peterkin thought they were those of a little dog,
but Jack and I thought differently. We became very curious on this
matter, the more so that we observed these footprints to lie scattered
about in one locality, as if the animal which had made them was
wandering round about in a very irregular manner and without any object
in view. Early in the forenoon of our third day we observed these
footprints to be much more numerous than ever, and in one particular
spot they diverged off into the woods in a regular beaten track, which
was, however, so closely beset with bushes that we pushed through it
with difficulty. We had now become so anxious to find out what animal
this was, and where it went to, that we determined to follow the track
and, if possible, clear up the mystery. Peterkin said, in a bantering
tone, that he was sure it would be cleared up, as usual, in some
frightfully simple way, and prove to be no mystery at all!

The beaten track seemed much too large to have been formed by the animal
itself, and we concluded that some larger animal had made it, and that
the smaller one made use of it. But everywhere the creeping plants and
tangled bushes crossed our path, so that we forced our way along with
some difficulty. Suddenly, as we came upon an open space, we heard a
faint cry, and observed a black animal standing in the track before us.

"A wild cat!" cried Jack, fitting an arrow to his bow, and discharging
it so hastily that he missed the animal, and hit the earth about
half-a-foot to one side of it. To our surprise, the wild cat did not
fly, but walked slowly towards the arrow and snuffed at it.

"That's the most comical wild cat I ever saw!" cried Jack.

"It's a tame wild cat, I think," said Peterkin, levelling his spear to
make a charge.

"Stop!" cried I, laying my hand on his s