“Why not?” asked Bony. “It’s the same sound.”
“But did you hear some men speaking?” demanded Nat. “We didn’t hear that before.”
“No, that’s right,” agreed Jack. “And the voices were quite plain, as if they were close at hand.”
“Maybe they were chasing the peculiar creature, whatever it was,” suggested Sam.
“That might be it,” Jack said.
“Let’s give ’em a hail,” put in Bony.
The boys thought this a good idea, and united their voices in a loud shout. After that they fired their rifles in a volley, but no answer came back.
“Either they don’t hear us, or they don’t want to answer us,” commented Jack.
“Or else that big bird or beast, whatever it was they were chasing, has eaten them up,” suggested Budge, preparing to stow away a fresh wad of gum.
“Nonsense!” exclaimed Nat. “I don’t believe it was a big bird.”