Chapter Twenty Two.
Tommy Smith’s Ghost.
“Must be one of the men,” said Oliver, excitedly. “Come on.”
“But that thing you saw below there among the trees?”
“We can’t stop about that. It’s some kind of great cat. I’ll try this.”
He raised his gun and fired quickly in among the trees to scare the creature, whatever it might be, and there came in response a snarling yell, followed by a crashing, as of the animal bounding away through the undergrowth.
Directly after there came from high up a second report, as if from a minor explosion of the volcano, but it was evidently only the echo of the gun.
There was another sound though, which was far more startling and awe-inspiring, and made the three young men draw together and stand gazing upward, waiting to find which direction would be the safest in which to flee.