“He has gone too far, Mr Brazier,” cried Rob suddenly, a complete change having come over him, for he was once more full of excitement and energy.
“I hope not.”
“But he is not signalling.”
“I’ll try again.”
Brazier raised the little metal whistle to his lips and gave out a shrill, keen, penetrating note.
Then they listened, but there was no answer.
Brazier’s brow wrinkled, and he refrained from looking at Rob as he once more raised the whistle to his lips, to obtain for answer the unmistakable cry of some savage, cat-like creature—jaguar or puma, he could not tell which.
“No guns! no guns!” he muttered; and moving away from Rob, he opened the long, sharp blade of his spring knife, one intended for hunting purposes, and thrust it up his sleeve.
Just then Rob whistled as loudly as he could, and they both listened, when, to their intense relief, there came a reply far to their left.
“Hurrah!” cried the boy excitedly, and then, “Oh, Mr Brazier, what a relief!”