“We will wait here for the present,” he said.
Five, ten minutes of tense silence passed; then a long mournful howl resounded through the forest. It was answered by other howls farther away, then a scream brought rustlings in the tree-tops where the birds stirred restlessly.
“They’re coming. Move forward cautiously; make no loud noises and be careful where you step. No one is to use a weapon unless I tell him to do so. Come!”
CHAPTER XIV
THE BATTLE OF THE BEASTS
“Oh, Hamilton!” said Emma, as she placed a trembling hand on the arm of the guide.
“Be quiet,” he admonished.
The howls were coming nearer with the seconds, it seemed. There were suggestive rustlings, and the faint sound of padded feet on the soft ground somewhere to the right of the party.
The sensations of the Overland Riders were not wholly delightful, and their nerves were tense and on edge.
The howls of the coyotes were mingled with snarls, and between themselves and the faint light of the campfire the Overlanders now made out slinking shadows.
“Mother of Mercy! What does it all mean?” murmured Nora Wingate.