“Yes, we shouldn’t have scared away much game,” replied Joe. “What’s that they can see?”
For Shaddy was holding up his hand to stop them, and Brazier, who had forgotten all about being languid and weary in the hot sunshine, was hurrying forward bending down and making for one of several clumps of bushes about half-way between them and the river.
Rob noted that clump particularly, for it was scarlet with the blossoms of a magnificent passion-flower, whose steins trailed all over it, tangling it into a mass of flame colour, looking hot in the sunshine, which made the air quiver as if in motion.
The lads stopped at Shaddy’s signal and looked intently, but they could see no sign of any game, and, rightly concluding that the object of Brazier’s movement must be hidden from them at the edge of the forest, they crouched down and waited for fully five minutes.
“Here, I’m sick of this,” whispered Rob at last; and he rose from his uncomfortable position.
“So am I,” said Joe, straightening himself. “Hullo! Where’s old Shaddy?”
“Lying down and having a nap, I expect,” replied Rob. “I can’t see him nor Mr Brazier neither. Shall we go on.”
“No: let’s wait a bit. They may be seeing a chance for something good at supper-time.”
They waited another five minutes, ten minutes, and had at last determined to go on, when Brazier’s piece was heard, the sharp report coming from about three hundred yards farther on toward the river.
“There’s Shaddy running,” cried Joe; and they saw now where he had been crawling, far beyond the scarlet passion-flower, from whose shelter Mr Brazier had evidently made a long stalk till he was close to the object of his search, a bird or animal, which had probably fallen, from the haste being made to reach the spot.