provision of firearms for the expedition, the total armoury amounting to
no less than twenty-one weapons; namely, three Westley-Richards
five-shot .318 repeating rifles; three Remington U.M.C. five-shot 35
repeating rifles, firing soft-nosed bullets; two 12A Standard U.M.C.
fifteen-shot .22 repeating rifles--the last five being especially
intended for big game and fighting; three Westley-Richards double-barrel
12-gauge smooth-bores; two Smith hammerless 10-gauged ditto; two
Remington U.M.C. 12-gauge six-shot repeating smooth-bores; and six Colt
Government model seven-shot .45 calibre automatic pistols. But, as
Earle explained, "when you go exploring and hunting, you need a variety
of weapons for different purposes; and there is also the contingency of
possible loss to be considered; moreover, in a fight, with tremendously
heavy odds against you, a strong battery of weapons rapidly used, will
often put the enemy to flight before he has time to get to close
quarters."

The two friends were busily engaged in unpacking, setting up and loading
their weapons, chatting animatedly together meanwhile, and pausing from
time to time to gaze contemplatively into the velvet darkness which
represented the forest-clad nearer bank of the river before them, when
suddenly Dick caught sight of what looked like two small greenish-yellow
lamps close together that had suddenly revealed themselves in the
blackness. They were quite motionless, and the lad scarcely knew what
to make of them.

"Look, Earle," he murmured. "Do you see those two small lights over
there? What can they be, I wonder?"

Earle, who was intent upon his work, looked up.

"Lights!" he exclaimed. "Where? Oh, yes, I see. They are not lights,
my unsophisticated youth, they are the eyes of an animal--a carnivorous
animal, I judge, by the look of them--which has come down to the river
to drink, and is doubtless wondering who and what the dickens we are."

He glanced eagerly about him for a moment, then pointed to one of the
weapons which Dick had already put together and loaded.

"Just hand me that Remington U.M.C. rifle, old chap--it is loaded, isn't
it? Good! This will be a capital chance to try it."

The eyes were still plainly visible, apparently staring steadily at the
lamp-lit entrance of the tent and the two figures seated therein.
Without rising from his seat, Earle slowly lifted the rifle to his
shoulder, and the next instant the whip-like report of it