curtain once more, he stepped out boldly and faced that which had
startled him before, this being nothing less than the puma. For it had
either leaped from the shore into the boat or crept out along one of the
great horizontal boughs of the tree and then dropped lightly down to
take its place right in the stern, where it was sitting up licking its
drenched coat as contentedly as some huge cat.

It looked so different in its soaked state that for the moment Rob was
disposed to think it another of the occupants of the forest, but his
doubts were immediately set aside by the animal ceasing its occupation
and giving its head a rub against him as, hardly knowing what to do, the
boy unfastened the rope in obedience to orders, set the boat free, and
then wished he had not done so till the puma had been driven ashore.

"All right, sir?" shouted Shaddy, who was hidden, like the rest, by the
intervening cabin-like structure.

"Yes," cried Rob, as the puma set up its ears and looked angrily in the
direction from which the voices came, while the boat began to glide out
through the dripping boughs, and the next minute was steaming in the hot
sunshine.

"What shall I do?" thought Rob, who was now in an agony of perplexity,
longing to call to his companions and yet in his confusion dreading to
utter a word, for the fear was upon him that the moment the puma caught
sight of Brazier it would fly at him. And again he mentally asked the
question, "What shall I do?"

Meanwhile the puma had continued contentedly enough to lick its coat,
sitting up on the narrow thwart at the end once more exactly like a cat,
and in such a position that Rob felt how easy it would be to give the
creature a sharp thrust and send it overboard, when it would be sure to
swim ashore and relieve him of his perplexity.

While he was hesitating, the word "Oh!" was uttered close behind him,
and looking sharply round, there was the wondering face of Joe thrust
out between the canvas hangings, which he held tightly round his neck,
being evidently too much startled to speak or move.

"It came on board, Joe, during the storm," whispered Rob; "whatever
shall we do?"

The lad made no answer for a few moments, and then in a hurried
whisper--

"Call Mr Brazier to shoot it."

This roused Rob.

"What for?" he said angrily; "the poor thing's as tame as can be.
Look!"

He took a step toward the great cat-like creature, and it ceased licking
itself and leaned si