"That would just suit me, for you see I'm more afraid of going to sleep than anything else while on guard duty," Frank remarked, soberly.

By degrees Andy realized that this business of camping in the heart of a tropical forest was no laughing matter. Still, they had escaped so many threatening perils that he was beginning to believe they must be under the protecting wing of some favoring G.o.d and that success lay just ahead.

They sat up and talked for a long time. Neither would admit being at all sleepy, and yet Frank caught his chum yawning ever so many times.

"Here, you, just make up your mind to turn in and get seven winks," he said, pretending to be giving orders with all the airs of a commanding officer.

"I suppose I'll just have to," came the reply, as the other started to roll up close to the fire, for they had no blankets with them this time. "Do you know I was just thinking about Puss."

"Well, what of him?" asked Frank.

"What if they start to chase us again in the morning? Are we going to put up with that funny business right along? I say no. Let's warn 'em that we're armed and can bore a hole right through their jolly old biplane, upsetting them any time they get close enough. I'm drawing the line on tomorrow, because somehow I feel it in here that it's going to be the greatest day of my life," and Andy laid his hand on his heart as he spoke.

"Yes, that would be our best plan," admitted Frank. "We've already stood quite enough of that funny business, as you call it. They even fired at us. Depend on it, Andy, they won't follow us very far next time."

And Andy, seeing the way his chum's mouth was firmly set, made up his mind that Frank had reached the end of his patience. Contented with the prospects for the morrow he therefore lay down to get some sleep.

"I say, Frank," he called out presently.

"Well, what now?" asked the one on guard, who had possession of the rifle and had taken up his position so that he could have a clear view of the open s.p.a.ce all about the camp.

"If one of the prowlers tries to drag me off, remember I've got my leg tied to this stake I knocked into the ground. While he's tugging you can have a bully good chance to knock him over, see?"

"All right," grinned Frank. "I'll remember. But let out a whoop if you feel yourself going. I might be looking the other way."

"You just bet I will," mumbled Andy, curling himself up as near the fire as he dared creep.

And in three minutes Frank knew from the heavy breathing coming from that quarter, that his chum had found no trouble in getting to sleep, regardless of the various sounds welling up from the neighboring forest, and the fears that possessed his boyish soul.

Frank sometimes sat down; and again, feeling cramped in this position, he would rise to his feet, and walk back and forth. But all the time he kept the gun in his possession, with the hammer pulled back, ready for business. And constantly did he maintain a close watch along the nearer border of the undergrowth that lay there, so dense and filled with mystery.

Time pa.s.sed on.

It seemed as though a thousand things flitted through the active mind of the young aviator as he thus stood guard over the camp. Once again he was back in good old Bloomsbury, where he had spent so many happy days. He could see the faces of his boyhood friends, Larry, Elephant and others.

Frequently he would detect a movement here or there among the trees; and at such times he could easily imagine that some animal belonging to the forest was creeping closer in. The question was, whether simple curiosity urged them to do this thing, or a design upon the occupants of the camp.

Frank had been in other situations calling for considerable pluck, and never failed to meet the emergency, nor did he now.

It must have been some three hours back that Andy lay down to sleep. That had been the limit of time arranged upon; but Frank did not show any signs of intending to awaken the other.

"Let him sleep," he said to himself, as he walked up and down, for by now he was beginning to feel very drowsy himself, in spite of the coffee. "He needs it more than I do. And besides, I'm a little dubious as to what sort of watch Andy would keep. Anyhow, I can stand it a while longer. h.e.l.lo! what's that mean?"

His attention had been attracted toward a movement in the brush at the nearest point of the forest. It was not thirty feet distant. Could one of those long-bodied muscular jaguars cover that distance in a wild leap? What if without warning he should see a tawny figure flashing through the air, and headed straight for him?

Frank threw the gun up to his shoulder as if to try and see how readily he could cover such a flying form. As he did so he heard a low and ominous growl, which undoubtedly sprang from the very spot where he had just caught that suspicious movement.

He bent his head to look closer, and as he did so an exclamation fell from his lips.

"And that's no owl staring at me, either," he said to himself, as he caught the singular glow of what seemed like two b.a.l.l.s of fire, just under the lower growth.

Frank knew what they undoubtedly must be. He had seen the orbs of a cat shine in this phosph.o.r.escent way in the darkness. There could be no doubt but that he was being surveyed by one of those savage beasts whose whining he and Andy had heard around the camp for hours.

"And I declare if that purring sound doesn't come from there, too," he muttered, as he sank down upon one knee, the better to aim his rifle. "What was that the old senor was telling me about these beasts?

Didn't he say they jerked their tail to and fro like a pendulum, and made a queer noise just before they jumped? If that is so then this fellow is getting ready to leap over right now. Time I was doing something, if I don't want him to drop on my chum like a rubber ball. Well, here goes to take him between those yellow eyes. Steady now, my boy, steady!"

CHAPTER XIX.

FIREBRANDS AND JAGUARS.

"Bang!"

"Wow! are they coming in on us?" shouted Andy, suddenly aroused by the sharp report of the repeating rifle.

He bounded to his feet, and from his manner of action it was plain to be seen that he remembered exactly the condition of affairs at the time of his taking pa.s.sage for the Land of Dreams.

Frank had aimed straight between those glowing eyes at the time he fired. And as he was perfectly calm at the time, it stood to reason that his bullet went direct to the mark he meant it should.

He saw a yellow object threshing about under the dense growth, and realized that he had given the adventurous jaguar something that was apt to wind up his career as a terror to the monkey hosts of the forest.

But this was not all Frank saw. Another figure had appeared just ten paces farther along, and he realized that a second jaguar had crept out of the copse, evidently bent on charging the camp.

"There's two more, Frank! Oh! my, it's a dozen I guess!" whooped Andy, who had found a better opportunity to see in other quarters.

"Grab a firebrand, quick!" shouted Frank, trying to get a bead on the second slinking figure; and yet hesitating about firing, because of the great risk that must ensue should he only wound the fierce monster.

He saw out of the corner of his eye that Andy made a plunge toward the fire and was s.n.a.t.c.hing a brand out in each hand.

"Wave them around your head, and shout like thunder!" he cried, at the same time starting in to do this latter himself.

Perhaps it was a comical thing in some respects. Andy often laughed over it afterwards; but just then it seemed serious enough. The way both of them let loose with their strong young voices would have made a football cheer captain turn green with envy. They fairly awoke the echoes slumbering in the depths of the forest.

And Andy waved those two torches like a good fellow, back and forth, in and out, weaving them as an expert Indian club athlete might do with his heavy weights, until the rushing flames roared again and again because of their rapid pa.s.sage through the air.

"They're licked already, Frank!" whooped Andy, as he daringly began to advance with his flaming beacons swinging around and around. "Look at the coward moving back, would you? Talk to me about your guns, they ain't in it with these things, when it comes to scaring off a pack of wild beasts. Scat! you terror, or I'll just swat you one alongside your jaw. Growl at me, will you? There, take that, hang you!"

To the astonishment of Frank, Andy, who had rushed straight at one of the retreating animals, suddenly hurled a blazing brand straight at the jaguar. In his palmy baseball days Andy had never amounted to a great deal as a pitcher; but all the same he made a beautiful throw right then and there.

The whirling, blazing f.a.got of wood struck the slinking beast full in the side. Frank threw up his gun, ready to shoot should the jaguar, as he feared might be the case, leap at his chum. But there proved to be no need. Instead, the brute was evidently alarmed at this novel weapon, something entirely beyond his ken.

Frank heard him give a snarl that told of mingled rage and fright. Then he made a spring, but _away_ from the fire, and into the dense undergrowth from whence he had just issued so bravely.

Looking around Frank saw that the glade was deserted of four-footed foes. The whirling torches had done the work.