“Poor old chap, then!” cried Rob; “and I was frightened of you, when all you wanted to do was to make friends. Why, you are a fine fellow, then.”
His words were accompanied by caresses, and these were evidently approved of, the puma crouching down and finally lying on its side, while Rob knelt beside it and found that he might make free with it to any extent.
Then, suddenly recollecting how Shaddy was hunting for him and their object, he sprang to his feet, and placing his hands to his mouth, sent forth as loud a shout as he could give.
As he sprang up the puma also leaped to its feet, watching him in a startled way.
Rob shouted again, and as a reply came from not far distant a low growl arose from the animal by his side.
But he shouted again, and an answer came from much nearer, when with one bound the animal sprang out of sight amongst the trees, and though Rob called to it again and again in the intervals of answering Shaddy’s cries, there was not a sound to suggest the creature’s presence.
“It’s afraid of Shaddy,” Rob concluded, and feeling bound to continue his signals, he kept on till his companion joined him.
“Why, my lad,” cried the latter, “I thought I’d lost you too,” and as soon as Rob had explained the reason for his silence, “Enough to make you, lad. But that’s right enough. He’s took a fancy to you. Only hope he won’t show fight at me, because if he does I shall have to hit hard for the sake of Shadrach Naylor; but if he’s for giving the friendly hand, why so am I. But come along; we mustn’t be belated here. I’ve found fresh signs of Mr Brazier while I was hunting you.”
“You have?” cried Rob joyfully.
“Yes, my lad, not much; but I came upon a spot where he had been breaking down green-stuff.”