The Cliff Climbers | Page 7

may rise in better spirits, and continue our examination in the morning."
To this proposal there was no objection on the part of either Caspar or Ossaroo. On the contrary, the mention of supper--both being very hungry--had caused them to start to their feet with remarkable alacrity; and Karl, taking the lead, they followed him, Fritz in turn following them.
On arriving at their hut, supper was cooked and eaten, with that zest which hunger always gives, even to the coarsest viands; and, having carried out the remaining part of the programme which Karl had suggested--that is, the offering up a prayer for success on the morrow-- the trio sought their grass-covered couches with a feeling of renewed hopefulness.
CHAPTER FIVE.
A MIDNIGHT INTRUDER.
They had been asleep several hours, when all three were suddenly awakened by the barking of Fritz. During night hours the faithful creature stayed habitually within the hut--where he also had his bed of dry grass. On hearing any unusual noise without, he would rush forth and prowl about for awhile; and, after satisfying himself that there was no enemy in the neighbourhood, would return quietly to his lair.
Fritz was far from being a noisy dog. He had seen too much service, and gathered too much wisdom, to waste his breath in idle barking; and it was only upon grand and important occasions that he condescended to give tongue. Then, however, his bark--or bay, it should rather be termed-- was terrific.
On the occasion in question--which happened just about the hour of midnight--the three sleepers were suddenly awakened by his expansive "yowl," that filled the whole valley, and reverberating from the cliffs, appeared continuous. The dog, after uttering this warning note, had rushed out of the hut--which had no door to it--and it was from some place down near the lake that his barking appeared to proceed.
"What can it be?" was the prompt and very natural inquiry of the three individuals, whom Fritz had so abruptly awakened from their slumbers.
"Something Fritz is frightened at," said Caspar, who knew the dog's nature better than either of the others. "He don't bark that way at any sort of game that he knows he can conquer. It's some animal that's a match for him, I warrant. If the old yak bull were still alive, I should say it was he."
"There may be tigers in this valley; I never thought of that," rejoined Karl. "Now that I do think of it," continued he, drawing upon the reminiscences of his zoological reading, "it is quite probable. People believe the tiger to be exclusively an inhabitant of tropical or subtropical regions. That is an error. On this continent (the speaker was in Asia) the royal Bengal tiger ranges at least as far north as the latitude of London. I know he is found on the Amoor as high as the fiftieth degree."
"Mercy on us!" broke in Caspar; "it may be a tiger, and we have never thought of having a door to our hut! If it should be one--"
Here the hypothetic speech of Caspar was abruptly brought to a conclusion, by a singular noise from without--which was heard mingling in chorus with the baying of Fritz.
The noise in question bore some resemblance to the sound of a trumpet, only sharper and more treble in its character. It was in effect more like the squeak of a penny trumpet than the real article; and yet, withal, there was something terrifying in the sound.
It must have terrified Fritz: for the moment after it was heard, the dog came rushing back into the hut, as if pursued by a legion of horned bulls; and, though he kept up his angry baying, he appeared altogether disinclined to venture out again.
Just then, the singular noise was heard outside the door--something between a shriek and a whistle--and this time with a far more terrifying effect: since, whatever produced it--bird, beast, or man--was evidently near, and still approaching nearer.
Of the three individuals within the hut, only one had ever before heard a sound exactly similar to that. Ossaroo was the one. The old shikaree recognised the noise the moment it reached his ears, and knew perfectly well the sort of instrument that must have been producing it; but he was hindered for a time from proclaiming his knowledge, by surprise, as well as a strong feeling of terror at hearing such a sound in such a place.
"By de wheels ob Juggernaut car!" he gasped out. "Can't be--can't be; no possible him be here."
"Who? What?" demanded Karl and Caspar, in a breath.
"See, sahibs! it him--it him!" hurriedly rejoined the Hindoo, in a sort of shrieking whisper. "We all perish--it him--it him--de god--de mighty--de terrible--"
There was no light within the hovel, except a faint glimmer from the moon shining brightly enough outside; but it did not require