The faint light of a few stars shone in the waters of the
bay, and between the waters and himself he presently saw a dark form
stealing along, close to the ground.
What could that be? Was it something real or only a shadow? Dick
rubbed his eyes and peered out more sharply than ever. It was not a
shadow, but a real form, slowly moving around to the rear of the house.
"An animal, or else a man crawling along," said Dick to himself, and
reached for his gun, which stood close at hand. Then he made up his
mind to investigate, and stepped outside of the doorway for that purpose.
CHAPTER XXVII
A FIGHT WITH A WILD BEAST
As Dick stepped out of the house, gun in hand, the form disappeared
behind a small clump of bushes growing not fifty feet away.
"It's gone," he said to himself, but waited patiently, with his gun
ready for use.
The clouds were increasing, making it darker than ever. Almost holding
his breath, the youth took several steps forward. Then he waited again.
At last the form reappeared, crouched lower than ever, so that it
was almost hidden by the rocks and low brushwood leading to the
jungle. At first Dick imagined the beast, or whatever it was, was
going to retreat to the timber, but soon it appeared to turn back,
as if to make another semicircle, this time around to the rear of
the house.
It must be admitted that Dick's heart thumped madly in his breast.
The gun was raised and he kept his finger on the trigger.
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