FIREBRANDS AND JAGUARS.

“Bang!”

“Wow! are they coming in on us?” shouted Andy, suddenly aroused by the sharp report of the repeating rifle.

He bounded to his feet, and from his manner of action it was plain to be seen that he remembered exactly the condition of affairs at the time of his taking passage for the Land of Dreams.

Frank had aimed straight between those glowing eyes at the time he fired. And as he was perfectly calm at the time, it stood to reason that his bullet went direct to the mark he meant it should.

He saw a yellow object threshing about under the dense growth, and realized that he had given the adventurous jaguar something that was apt to wind up his career as a terror to the monkey hosts of the forest.

But this was not all Frank saw. Another figure had appeared just ten paces farther along, and he realized that a second jaguar had crept out of the copse, evidently bent on charging the camp.

“There’s two more, Frank! Oh! my, it’s a dozen I guess!” whooped Andy, who had found a better opportunity to see in other quarters.

“Grab a firebrand, quick!” shouted Frank, trying to get a bead on the second slinking figure; and yet hesitating about firing, because of the great risk that must ensue should he only wound the fierce monster.

He saw out of the corner of his eye that Andy made a plunge toward the fire and was snatching a brand out in each hand.

“Wave them around your head, and shout like thunder!” he cried, at the same time starting in to do this latter himself.

Perhaps it was a comical thing in some respects. Andy often laughed over it afterwards; but just then it seemed serious enough. The way both of them let loose with their strong young voices would have made a football cheer captain turn green with envy. They fairly awoke the echoes slumbering in the depths of the forest.

And Andy waved those two torches like a good fellow, back and forth, in and out, weaving them as an expert Indian club athlete might do with his heavy weights, until the rushing flames roared again and again because of their rapid passage through the air.

“They’re licked already, Frank!” whooped Andy, as he daringly began to advance with his flaming beacons swinging around and around. “Look at the coward moving back, would you? Talk to me about your guns, they ain’t in it with these things, when it comes to scaring off a pack of wild beasts. Scat! you terror, or I’ll just swat you one alongside your jaw. Growl at me, will you? There, take that, hang you!”

To the astonishment of Frank, Andy, who had rushed straight at one of the retreating animals, suddenly hurled a blazing brand straight at the jaguar. In his palmy baseball days Andy had never amounted to a great deal as a pitcher; but all the same he made a beautiful throw right then and there.

The whirling, blazing fagot of wood struck the slinking beast full in the side. Frank threw up his gun, ready to shoot should the jaguar, as he feared might be the case, leap at his chum. But there proved to be no need. Instead, the brute was evidently alarmed at this novel weapon, something entirely beyond his ken.

Frank heard him give a snarl that told of mingled rage and fright. Then he made a spring, but away from the fire, and into the dense undergrowth from whence he had just issued so bravely.

Looking around Frank saw that the glade was deserted of four-footed foes. The whirling torches had done the work.

“Bully for us!” shouted the excited Andy, ready to dance in his delight over the success of his labors. “Didn’t we send ’em a flying, though? Perhaps they just dare to come snoopin’ around here again, when they’re not asked! Frank, I guess you nailed that critter, all right. Dast we look and see?”

“Sure we will,” returned Frank, instantly. “Pick up another bit of burning wood. Then let me go just ahead of you, so that I can shoot if I have to.”

They thus boldly advanced toward the spot where Frank had first sighted the blazing yellow orbs.

“I can see something there!” declared Andy, who possessed sharp eyes.

“Yes, it’s the beast, all right. But I can’t say for sure whether he’s down on his back, or crouching for a spring. Careful, not so fast, Andy.” And Frank kept covering the object with his rifle as foot by foot they kept on.

“He’s lying on his side! He’s a dead duck, all right!” sang out Andy, waving his fire vigorously to and fro.

“You’re right, he’s stone dead!” observed the other, a touch of natural pride in his voice; for it was no mean feat to kill so ferocious a beast as a jaguar, after seeing only his two eyes shining in the darkness beyond the fire-light.

Frank stooped down, and catching hold of one of the dead animal’s hind legs, started dragging it toward the fire.

“Hold on there,” said Andy; “don’t tell me we’re going to have a steak off that old cat? I can stand for a good deal, but I’d go hungry a long time before I’d eat any of him!”

“Don’t worry about that,” laughed Frank. “But think what a bully old rug his hide will make some day. I’m going to try and take it off, if I can, while you’re getting breakfast in the morning. It’s worth while.”

Andy looked as though he doubted the ability of his chum to accomplish the feat; but then he was counting without his host; for when the chance came Frank deftly removed the pelt, and kept it for a reminder of his hazardous shot.

Andy insisted on taking his turn at playing guard, when he found out what time it was. First of all Frank saw that the fire was revived, with plenty of fuel handy. Then, after giving his chum a few last instructions, he consented to lie down. But his sleep could not have been very sound, for frequently he would raise his head, and take a look around; seeing nothing suspicious he would again lie down.

So the night passed away.

Frank was on deck an hour and more before the dawn came. He felt too anxious concerning the possibilities of the coming day to sleep much.

So Andy started to get breakfast, such as it was, before the night had really gone. He excused himself by saying that while he was not at all hungry, the operation had to be gone through with, and the sooner he was at it the quicker they might be free to mount upward.

Frank knew what a terrific load was on his chum’s mind, and how he thrilled with suspense, now that they were so near the realization of his highest hopes or worst fears.

And so he too set to work to remove the jaguar skin, for it would make a pretty decent rug, if it could be properly preserved.

Morning was just breaking as they sat down to partake of the simple meal. Neither of them seemed to care for much. It was indeed no time for feasting, or making merry, when the day had probably dawned that was to settle their mission, one way or the other.

“One thing good,” remarked Andy, hopefully, “there doesn’t seem to be any strong wind blowing this morning.”

Frank had been studying the lay of the land in the glade.

“I tell you we’re going to have all we can do to squeeze up out of here without scraping against any tree before we can rise above them,” he observed, presently.

“But don’t you think we can do it?” demanded his chum, anxiously watching his expressive face.

“I think it is possible,” came the slow reply; which after all gave Andy new cause for distrust; since his cousin was so cautious a fellow that he seldom if ever gushed over anything; at the same time he never expressed doubts when he felt positive.

“But!” cried Andy, “there’s no other way to fly; we couldn’t take the aeroplane to another place; and I reckon there isn’t a cleared field within ten miles of here.”

“No, it must be done right where we are. Now, I’m going to measure the opening to find out its widest dimensions. Then we will take the monoplane as far back as we can, and make all arrangements for a rapid start. But to rise above those trees, even the shortest of them, is going to call for considerable management, and some great good luck in the bargain.”

“But, Frank, you’ve done it before,” declared Andy. “You know you made lots of short starts that beat all the records. That’s your best hold. And, Frank, we’ve just got to get out of here. Everything depends on it.”

“Sure,” responded Frank, cheerily enough; “and we’ll manage somehow, never fear. Now to foot off the space. Count to yourself, and we’ll compare notes when I get to the other side. This looks the widest range, according to my eye.”

So they both started off, Frank placing one foot close in front of the other, and Andy keeping alongside in order to do his own counting. In this way they passed from one side of the glade to the other; and Frank was secretly pleased to find that the distance was considerably more than he had judged possible.

Besides, the trees happened to be much lower on this side, which fact would be of considerable benefit to them when they started to make the run, and rise.

Frank was still muttering the number of feet to himself, and had arrived within something like five yards of the nearest trees, when, without the slightest warning, he heard Andy let out a screech that could have but one meaning.

He had surely sighted something that spelled peril to one or both of the Bird boys. Frank had wisely kept the rifle in his hand, and instinct caused him to throw this up to his shoulder, though as yet he had not the slightest suspicion as to what the nature of the danger might be, nor the quarter in which it lay.