their eyes and proceeded to watch the
animal, which seemed to have a desire to drink, but was debating within
itself the question of how far it would be prudent to enter the water
even as far as would be necessary to enable it to do so. It was
standing quite still, staring down into the water, and thus afforded an
excellent opportunity for careful inspection.

"N-o," answered Earle slowly, after he had studied the appearance of the
creature for nearly a minute--"it certainly is not a boar, though it is
not altogether unlike one. But it is too big for a boar. Looks to me
more like a hyaena--though of course I know there are no such creatures
in this country. Also it is far too big to be a hyaena--unless it is an
entirely new species. And the thing has tusks, just like a wild boar.
Now, what the mischief can it be? It is rather too far off for a dead
shot, or I would have a try at it; but it would be a pity to merely
wound it and scare it away. Say! is there any way of getting across to
the other side, short of swimming?"

"I'm afraid not," answered Dick. "And after what I saw yesterday I
wouldn't give a farthing for the chance of anybody who should attempt to
swim in these waters."

Dick still had his glasses to his eyes as he spoke; and even as the last
words left his lips he had an impression of something stealthily moving
in the long herbage some distance to the rear of the strange animal
which they were watching. He was about to direct Earle's attention to
the circumstance when, from the spot where he had observed the stealthy
movement, a great body rose into the air with a tremendous leap and
hurtling through the intervening space, descended fair and square upon
the body of the creature standing by the water's edge.

"Gee-rusalem!" shouted Earle, as the harsh scream of the stricken animal
pealed out on the stagnant air. "See that, Cavendish?"

"Sure!" responded Dick. "Take particular notice of that last brute,
Earle; for as sure as my name is Cavendish, it is another of the same
kind that I killed yesterday."

"My revered ancestors! You don't say so!" gasped Earle. "Sure?"

"Absolutely certain," averred Dick.

"But--but--man alive--" stammered Earle in his excitement, "you told me
that the thing you shot yesterday was a sort of cross between a frog and
a kangaroo, and that beast doesn't suggest at all that sort of idea to
me. What a ferocious beast it is! He is literally tearing the other
po