CHAPTER XIV.
THE SOUND OF FIRING.
Jack Everson was hardly less impatient than the doctor over theobstinacy of their lately made friends. He reminded them that thephysician had spent a score of years in that part of the world, withwhich he was so familiar that his judgment ought to outweigh theirs,but the argument was useless. They had decided to stick to the boatthat had served them so well and could not be dissuaded. Their plan,as they had intimated, now that they found they could go little furtherup stream, was to descend to the Ganges, with a view of working theirway down to some of the cities, where they hoped to find the Englishhad succeeded in holding out against the mutineers.
Could this be done, and could such a haven be reached, all would bewell, but the doctor assured them they were leaning upon a broken reed.When it became evident that all persuasions were useless the partiesseparated. A common peril had brought them near to one another and itwas impossible that that they should part except as friends. All feltthe solemnity of the hour. Each wife kissed and embraced Mary Marlowe,and like her shed tears at what they felt was probably the finalparting, so far as this world was concerned. The men warmly shookhands and there was more than one tremulous voice when the three passedover the side of the boat and said farewell.
The latter walked some distance through the jungle, which was so densethat they were obliged to follow one of the numerous paths made by theanimals in going to and coming from the water. The doctor, by virtueof his superior knowledge, took the lead, with his daughter closebehind, and Jack Everson bringing up the rear. They were silent andthoughtful, for their spirits were oppressed by a deep gloom and thefeeling that something dreadful impended.
Not far off the path which they were following expanded into a naturalclearing two or three rods in extent. When they reached the spot thedoctor halted and faced his companions.
"I now know where we are," he said in an undertone; "we have to followthis path a little way back, when we enter a hilly and rough country,where the jungle is more open. It is cut up by numerous trails likethis, most of which have been made by the feet of wild animals, but oneof them leads northward and finally enters a highway, which if followedfar enough will land us in the Nepaul country."
"I assume from what you have said that it will not be safe to stick tothis road?" said Jack.
"No; for two or three days while travelling over it we shall be inconstant danger; our task will be to make our way over it withoutattracting the notice of any of our enemies who are scouring thecountry for us."
"Is the thing possible?"
"I should not undertake it did I not think so; the danger will threatenfor probably a hundred miles, though growing steadily less as weproceed."
"Will it not be safer to do our travelling by night?" asked thedaughter.
"That is what I mean to do after reaching the more plainly marked path,which connects with the highway. I see no risk in pushing through thejungle by day, since the only foes we are likely to encounter arefour-footed ones. If we meet any such we must refrain from firing,since the reports of our guns will be sure to draw attention to us. Imean, of course," explained the doctor, "that our weapons are not to beappealed to unless there is no escape otherwise, as was the case withthe tiger."
While he was speaking, Mary gave a faint gasp and caught his arm. Sheand Jack were facing the point toward which his back was turned.Seeing that it was something behind him that had startled both, thedoctor turned his head. As if to emphasize the words just spoken, hesaw an immense spotted leopard, motionless in the trail not more thanfifty feet away. Evidently he was trotting to the stream, when hecaught sight of the three persons, stopped short, raised his head andstared wonderingly at them.
The leopard shares the reputation of the tiger for deadly ferocity anddaring. When more than 20,000 persons are killed in India every yearby wild animals and serpents, it will be found that the leopard is oneof the most active among these factors of death, and holds his own wellup with the tiger.
Like the venomous serpent, the leopard had a terrible beauty all hisown. As he stood with head raised, eyes glaring, mouth slightly partedand his long tail lashing his sides with a force that made the thumpingagainst his glossy ribs plainly audible, his pose was perfect. What apicture he made!
The question that was to be quickly answered was whether the fearfulbrute would allow himself to be turned aside from the path and withdrawagain into the jungle with his thirst unslaked. If he did he would notbe molested; if he presumed to advance upon the party, whom heevidently held in slight fear, let him be prepared for the consequences!
Jack Everson fumbled his rifle and looked with sparkling eyes at thebeast.
"What a chance for another bull's-eye!" he said, in a low voice. "Iwould take him right between and above his forelegs, where I should besure of reaching his heart."
"Don't fire unless he advances to attack us," warned the elder.
It would be hard to say what induced the leopard to retreat, for, ashas been said, he is one of the most dangerous denizens of the jungle;but, while our friends were expecting a charge from him, he wheeledabout and trotted off.
"It looks as if he had learned something of your skill," remarked thedoctor with a smile.
Again, while the words were in the mouth of the speaker, he wasinterrupted, this time in a more terrifying manner than before.
From the direction of the stream which they had left but a short timeprevious, and undoubtedly from the boat itself, came the reports offirearms. There were no shouts or outcries, but the firing was rapidand apparently made by gun and pistol.
"They have been attacked!" exclaimed Mary; "we must go to their help!"
She impulsively started along the path, but her father seized her armand said sternly:
"Remain here! It is no place for you; Jack and I will do what we can."
Perhaps in the excitement of the moment the parent did not fullycomprehend the danger of leaving his daughter alone in the jungle, evenat so slight a distance and for so brief a time as he anticipated, withnothing but a revolver as a means of defence; but he and Jack Eversonwere eager to rush to the aid of their friends, and they hurried overthe trail without even looking back at her.
The young man was slightly behind his companion and both broke into aloping trot. Each held his rifle in hand, on the alert to use it theinstant the opportunity presented itself.
It will be borne in mind that the distance from the slight naturalopening to the boat was short, and a few minutes sufficed for the twomen to cover it; but a strange thing happened. The reports of firearmswhich had broken out with such suddenness ceased with the sameabruptness, and the silence because of the contrast was tenfold moreoppressive than before.
"What can that mean?" asked Jack, as his companion slackened his pace.
"_It means that they are through_!" replied the doctor, whose face wasof deathly paleness. "My God! what have we escaped!"
"We shall soon know," replied Jack, catching the awful significance ofthe words; and then he added to himself:
"We may have escaped it, but for how long?"
A few rods further and they were at the side of the stream, and theboat loomed to view through the thick undergrowth and vegetation.