"Where is it?"
"Went up that tree," said Venning, rising and stretching his neck.
"You take that side, I this."
They moved slowly, finger on trigger and eyes swiftly scanning the branches, but they made the circuit of the tree without a glimpse of the yellow and black body that had so swiftly come and gone.
"Where the dickens has it gone?"
"Maybe into a hole up there."
They stood staring up in bewilderment, but there was not a movement anywhere, and presently they wandered around examining the trees near. The beast had vanished as completely as if it had been no bigger than a fly.
"Well," said Compton, with a short laugh, "I'm going to take the skin off the dead one, before it disappears too."
They set to work stripping the skin off the muscular body, stopping often to listen and glance around. The work, however, was completed in peace, and then, suddenly remembering their position, they hastened to retrace their steps. Slowly they hit off the trail, and finally arrived as far as the place where Venning had first missed his bundle.
"It's after us, Dick!"—in a whisper.