He felt himself slipping, tried to catch hold of a nearby bush, which gave way in his frenzied grasp, and down the steep incline he plunged!
CHAPTER XIII—THE WILD MAN DEVELOPS AN APPETITE
“Great smoke! what’s that?”
“It’s the wild man, fellers!”
“Run, afore he gits yuh!”
There was an immediate scramble among the adherents of Pet Peters. What they had heard about the wild man of the island had kept them on edge throughout the entire length of their short sojourn; and now, when this sudden object came rolling down the incline into their very camp they were panic stricken.
Pet himself was just as frightened as any of his mates. He had been sitting by the fire, drying his back, having removed his coat and trousers meanwhile. As the alarm sounded he tried to get to his feet so as to join in the hasty flight, but, as might be expected, his legs became twisted, and consequently he fell in a heap.
“Wow! keep off’n me, you! I ain’t done nuthin’!” he yelled.
It was his customary plea when caught doing something wrong.
Frank had by this time reached the bottom of the incline, for which he was not at all sorry. He had not been seriously hurt by his rough tumble, and, thinking only of keeping himself aloof from these ugly spirits, he managed to scramble to his feet after some fashion.