bit. That's all."

I shrugged my shoulders.

"Ah! you may hyste your shoulders till you skretches your ears with
them, Mas'r Harry; but that don't make no better of it. I promised your
mother as I'd take care of you and stick to you; but how am I to do that
if you get yourself spoiled somehow or other? But, say, Mas'r Harry,
was it such a werry big un?"

"Was what a very big one?" I said wonderingly.

"Why, the sarpint--it might have been a sea-sarpint, for nobody seemed
to believe in it."

"Yes," I said moodily, "an enormous beast."

"And he got it pretty hot from the tiger thing?"

"You saw the blood about, and now hold your tongue."

"But I ain't done yet, Mas'r Harry," said Tom eagerly. "That there Don
wouldn't believe in it, and we knowed that it went into that brake.
What do you say to going up to the house, getting the guns, and then
shooting the beast and skinning him; so as to show them that English
lads don't go bouncing and swelling about without they've got something
to bounce and swell about?"

There was something in Tom's project that interested me, and I turned to
him with eagerness. Adventure--something to prove that I had been no
boaster, something to divert the current of my thoughts; it was the very
thing, but I said gloomily the next minute:

"We should be too late, Tom; the beast must have taken to the river."

"All wounded beasts make to the water, Mas'r Harry," said Tom; "but we
don't know that we should be too late. What I say is--Let's try."

"Come along then," I cried.

We walked up to the hacienda, encountering Garcia on the portal, ready
to bestow upon us both a sneering grin as we again issued forth, each
carrying a double gun loaded with buck-shot.

I don't think we, either of us, stopped to consider whether it was
prudent to run the risk before us, with a very problematic chance of
success; but hurrying back regardless of the sun, we soon stood once
more by the fallen tree, and began to follow the beaten track left by
the contending enemies till we reached the great brake by the
river-side, when for the first time we turned and looked at each other.

"Oh! it's all right, Mas'r Harry," said Tom; "and if he's in here we'll
soon rouse him out." For it was evident that he had interpreted the
doubt that had found a home in my mind.

"You think it will be here still?" I said.

"Sartain, Mas'r Harry; and--hist! don't speak above a whisper. He's in
there, sure enough