"Hi, go away!" he cried, frantically. "Go away! Scat!"
The cries caused the jaguar to pause while yet fifty feet from the youth.
It had never before attacked a human being, and the new experience caused it to proceed with caution.
But now it advanced again, crouching low on the cavern floor, its two eyes glowing like balls of fire in the semi-darkness of the retreat.
Nearer and nearer came the beast, until Dave imagined he could feel the hot breath of the jaguar upon his cheek. Then the tail of the animal began to oscillate slowly, showing that the jaguar was preparing to make a leap.
Bang! bang!
Almost deafening was the double report of a repeating rifle as it rang throughout the cave. At the shots the jaguar leaped high in the air, turned over several times, and then stretched itself in a convulsive death shudder.
Dave could scarcely believe his eyes and ears. Who had thus unexpectedly come to his deliverance?
"Bob!" The cry was little short of a scream. "Where in the world did you come from?"
"From the bowels of the earth, I reckon," was the reply, as the young engineer of the Swallow ran forward. "Is the beast dead?" he went on, as he halted at the outer edge of the underground stream.