f I want help come and give it
to me; but I shan't."

He parted the bushes and creepers with his left hand holding his knife
well before him with the right; but before he had gone six yards with
great caution there was a horrible cry, and a sound as of a struggle
going on--a sound which made Rob press forward and thrust the barrel of
his gun in front of Brazier.

"Has he got hold of Shaddy?" he panted, with a chill of horror running
through him.

"No, my lad; I'm all right--it's all over," cried the guide, as the
sound ceased. "Ah! I can see him plain now: quite dead."

"A deer?" said Brazier, eagerly.

"Deer don't make a noise like that, sir," said Joe from behind.

"Nay, it's no deer," said Shaddy; "I'll let you see what it is. Hi!" he
called; and the Indians crowded past through the dense growth, went
boldly right to the front, and Shaddy reappeared smiling.

"Back again," he said; "they'll bring him along."

Rob turned back unwillingly, for he was eager to see what the dead
animal might be, Shaddy's mysterious manner suggesting the possibility
of its being something extraordinary. But he followed the others out,
the guide seeming to drive them all before him back into the open spot
by the fire, while almost directly after the Indian boatmen appeared,
half carrying, half dragging--each holding a paw--with his white under
fur stained with blood--the great jaguar, perfectly dead.

"There," cried Shaddy, "now you can have your skin, sir; and you deserve
it for those two shots."

"But I couldn't have--" began Rob.

"But you did, sir," said Shaddy, who was down on his knees by the
beautiful animal. "Here you are: face and head all full of small shot,
and down here right in the loins--yes: back regularly broken by a
bullet. Your piece was loaded proper after all."

"A splendid shot, Rob," cried Brazier, and Joe patted his back.

"But it was quite an accident," said Rob, excitedly.

"Accident?" growled Shaddy. "If you shot at a man in England and killed
him, do you think the judge would say it was an accident?"

"Well, no," said Rob, laughing.

"'Course not. Splendid shot, as the captain says. So now let's finish
our bit of eating and have a nap while my chaps here takes off the
skin."

CHAPTER EIGHT.

HIDDEN DANGERS.

It did not take the lads long to finish the interrupted meal, seated in
the shade of a magnificent tree, one side of which sent out branches and
pensile boughs laden with