“’Course not. Splendid shot, as the captain says. So now let’s finish our bit of eating and have a nap while my chaps here takes off the skin.”
Chapter Eight.
Hidden Dangers.
It did not take the lads long to finish the interrupted meal, seated in the shade of a magnificent tree, one side of which sent out branches and pensile boughs laden with leaf and flower from the summit almost to the ground, while the other side was comparatively bare, so closely was it placed to the dense crowd of its fellows whose limbs were matted together and enlaced with creepers of endless variety, out from which the sheltering tree stood like a huge, green, smoothly rounded buttress, formed by nature to support the green wall which surrounded her forest fastness.
As soon as they had eaten their meal the two lads hurried off to where the boatmen were deftly skinning the great cat-like creature,—rather a disgusting operation, but one full of interest, as limb after limb was cut down right to the toes and the skin stripped away, to show the tremendous muscles and sinews which enabled the animal to bound like lightning upon its prey.
“Seems a pity to waste so much good, fresh meat when a bit would be welcome, eh?” said Shaddy, with a grim smile.
“Would you like to eat some of it?” asked Joe.
Shaddy shook his head.