"There must be snakes, and lions, and tigers."
"Ask your mamma, my boy," said Harris, "whether she ever heard of lions and tigers in America?"
Mrs. Weldon was endeavouring to put her little boy at his ease on this point, when Cousin Benedict interposed, saying that although there were no lions or tigers, there were plenty of jaguars and panthers in the New World.
"And won't they kill us?" demanded Jack eagerly, his apprehensions once more aroused.
"Kill you?" laughed Harris; "why, your friend Hercules here could strangle them, two at a time, one in each hand!"
"But, please, don't let the panthers come near me!" pleaded Jack, evidently alarmed.
"No, no, Master Jack, they shall not come near you. I will give them a good grip first," and the giant displayed his two rows of huge white teeth.
Dick Sands proposed that it should be the four younger negroes who should be assigned the task of keeping watch during the night, in attendance upon himself; but Actæon insisted so strongly upon the necessity of Dick's having his full share of rest, that the others were soon brought to the same conviction, and Dick was obliged to yield.
Jack valiantly announced his intention of taking one watch, but his sleepy eyelids made it only too plain that he did not know the extent of his own fatigue.
"I am sure there are wolves here," he said.