How long the sound continued he was never able to say. It seemed to him that he lay for an eternity, breathless, waiting for something to happen, with the sound continuously in his ears. And then he became aware of two great, yellow eyes, staring in the darkness, immobile, like flaming lamps.
[CHAPTER XXX—The Blood Spoor]
On the spur of the moment he snatched his revolver, levelled it, and fired.
There was a prolonged, piercing shriek, as a dark mass, blacker than the shadows, sprang high into the air.
Harry lay quite still; fear at last possessed him. The loud report of his revolver was still singing in his ears; and, before silence reigned again, it was as if the whole place, even the very walls, were possessed of life.
Dark shadows were moving everywhere. All about the boy were yellow, staring eyes, that dilated and grew smaller in the darkness. And then Harry became conscious of a fierce, growling sound.
As far as he was able to make out, this proceeded from the largest pair of eyes, immediately before him. And it was this that gave him the first inkling as to the solution of the mystery: he had crept into a den of savage beasts.
The largest pair of eyes drew nearer, and suddenly dropped lower, almost to the level of the ground. The brute was about to spring.
There was a snarl. As quick as lightning Harry sprang aside.
The great beast collided with the wall with such force that the roof—or as much of it as remained—came down with a crash upon the ground, and Harry found himself buried in a mass of debris and dust.