“Then look here, Joe; I’ll say to him that I’ve heard of the place, and how difficult it is, and that I wish we had some guide who really knew the country and could take us there.”
Joe shook his head.
“Beside, we could not attempt it without Mr Brazier wished to go.”
“If you told him about that great fall, he would wish to go for the sake of being the discoverer. You’ll see. What’s that?”
A tremendous splash, so near to them that quite a wave rose and slightly rocked the boat as the boys sat there awe-stricken, listening and straining their eyes in the darkness which shut them in.
The noise occurred again—a great splash as of some mighty beast rearing itself out of the water and letting itself fall back, followed by a peculiar, wallowing noise.
This time it was lower and more as though it had passed the boat, and directly after there was another splash, followed by a heavy beating like something thrashing the water with its tail. Then came a smothered, bellowing grunt as if the great animal had begun to roar and then lowered its head half beneath the water, so that the noise was full of curious gurglings. The flapping of the water was repeated, and this time forty or fifty yards away, as near as they could guess, and once more there was silence.
“I didn’t know there were such horrible beasts as that in the water,” whispered Rob.
“Nor I. What can it be?”
“Must have been big enough to upset the boat if it had seen us, or to drag us out. Shall we wake Shaddy and ask him?”