med, as
nearly as he could guess, at the spot whence it came, and waited, but
the animal did not spring.

He moved forward again and there was another snarl--a pause--a slight
movement--another snarl and a scratching noise, which meant the tearing
at the bark of the trunk upon which the animal crouched.

"I must fire," thought Lane, and bending forward again, the snarling was
resumed and he drew trigger.

Almost simultaneously with the shot there was a fierce yell, and the
young man received a tremendous blow in the chest, which knocked him
backwards right amongst the thick growth; then came a loud rustling, the
sound of the animal dashing through the tangle of undergrowth, and then
all was still.

"Killed, or escaped wounded?" muttered: Lane, as he gathered himself up,
and stood with his gun ready to deliver the contents of the second
barrel. But at the end of ten minutes or so there was no sound to break
the silence, save a peculiar rending, tearing noise at a distance,
followed by a rumbling boom, as of thunder under ground, and a sensation
as of the earth quivering beneath his feet.

This passed away, and feeling safe for the moment, Lane opened the
breech of his piece, threw away the empty cartridge, and replaced it
with one containing heavy shot before stepping up to the tree, and
climbing up the trunk easily enough by the help of the cable-like
parasite which enlaced its great buttresses.

He had not far to mount, for the main trunk ended about twelve feet from
the ground, and after a little feeling about amongst the dense orchid
growth, he soon found a position where he could sit astride, and support
his back in a comfortable half-reclining posture, perfectly safe from
all risk of falling, so that there was every prospect of a good night's
rest.

"I hope they will not fidget about me very much," he said to himself, as
he thought of his companions. Then, utterly tired out, and with his
perceptions somewhat blunted by fatigue, he gave his friends the credit
of thinking that he would be able to take care of himself, and leaned
back.

"Jolly," he muttered. "Cheap, comfortable lodgings if it don't rain,
and the leopard, or whatever it was, does not come back to turn out this
trespasser. Hah! how restful and nice. Can't fall: but I'm not going
to cuddle this gun all night."

He began to feel about for a place where he could lay the gun down
safely, and at the end of a minute his hand touched something