"
"We couldn't do it," replied his father, in the same cautious
whisper. "They'd be sure to see us. I'll fix 'em when they come nigh
enough. I'd like to shoot 'em both, to pay 'em for findin' my hidin'
place."
"Don't do that, pap," said Dan, in great alarm. "Here they come,
an'---- Laws a massy? What's that?"
As Dan uttered these words, a deep, hoarse, growl, so suddenly and
fiercely uttered, that it almost made his hair stand on end, sounded
close at his side. Don and Bert heard it, and they were as badly
frightened as Dan was.
"What was that, Don?" asked Bert, in an excited whisper. "You heard
it, didn't you?"
"I should think so," was Don's reply, and the words were followed by
the clicking of the locks of his gun.
After that came a long pause. Don and Bert waited for the warning
growl to be repeated, and stooping down, tried to peer through the
cane in front of them, in the hope of obtaining a view of the animal,
which had been disturbed by their approach, while Dan, crouching low
in his place of concealment, looked first at his father and then
glanced timidly about, as if in momentary expectation of seeing
something frightful. He could hardly bring himself to believe that
the noise, which so greatly terrified him, had been made by his
father, but such was the fact.
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