The forest was a wild place, which the ax of the woodman had as yet not disturbed. Consequently the underbrush was thick and he had all he could do to make any progress.
It must be admitted that Gilbert did not like the idea of tramping through that dense growth alone. He had read up on Korea since joining the army, and had been astonished to learn that the mountain wilds contained such savage beasts as tigers, leopards, bears, and wildcats, as well as numerous species of deer and foxes, badgers and martens. There were also numerous black eagles—he had already seen many of these—and pheasants, hawks, herons, magpies, jays, king-fishers, kites, and orioles.
“I don’t think I’d care to meet a tiger,” was his thought. “I’m afraid I’d make a poor showing against such a powerful beast as that.”
As he could not reach the trail he had left so suddenly by a direct course, he took a circuitous way, which soon brought him deeper and deeper into the forest. Then he found himself in a jungle of trailing vines where further advance was impossible.
“Another mistake!” he groaned, half aloud. “I reckon I’d better give up being a soldier and go back to private life.”
There was nothing to do but to turn back, and this he did without delay. He had scarcely passed along a distance of three rods when he heard a sound in the brushwood on his right.
Something was moving there, but what it was he could not imagine. Coming to a halt, he drew his pistol and gazed ahead searchingly.
“It must be some wild animal,” he said to himself, and the thought had scarcely crossed his mind when he heard a swish and saw several limbs of a tree shake violently.
Gilbert was not much of a hunter, but he was certain that only some beast of good size could make such a leap and be able to shake the tree limbs as those before him had been shaken.
If the young captain had been in a quandary on the trail when the runaway horses were bearing down upon him, he was even in more of a dilemma now. He did not care to advance and did not know if it would be safe to retreat. The beast, whatever it was, might be watching him, and might pounce upon him the instant his back was turned.