Martin Rattler by R. M. Ballantyne (young adult books to read TXT) 📖

Having partaken of as much milk as they desired, they continued their journey a little further, when they came to a spur of the sierra, or mountain range, that cuts through that part of the country. Here the ground became more rugged, but still densely covered with wood, and rocks lay piled about in many places, forming several dark and gloomy caverns. The hermit now unslung his gun and advanced to the foot of a cliff, near the further end of which there were several caves, the mouths of which were partially closed with long ferns and masses of luxuriant vegetation.

“Now we must be prepared,” said the hermit feeling the point of his spear. “I think there is a jaguar here. I saw him yesterday, and I am quite sure he will not go away till he tries to do some mischief. He little knows that there is nothing here to hurt but me.” The hermit chuckled as he said this, and resting his gun against the cliff near the entrance to the first cave, which was a small one, he passed on to the next. Holding the spear in his left band, he threw a stone violently into the cavern. Barney and Martin listened and gazed in silent expectation; but they only heard the hollow sound of the falling stone as it dashed against the sides of the cave; then all was still.

“Och, then, he’s off,” cried Barney.

“Hush,” said Martin; “don’t speak till he has tried the other cave.”

Without taking notice of their remarks, the hermit repeated the experiment at the mouths of two caverns further on, with the like result.

“Maybe the spalpeen’s hidin’ in the little cave where ye laid down yer gun,” suggested Barney, going towards the place as he spoke.

“Och, then, come here, friend; sure it must be the mouth of a mine, for there’s two o’ the beautifulest di’monds I iver—”

Barney’s speech was cut short by a low peculiar sound, that seemed like the muttering of far-distant thunder. At the same moment the hermit pulled him violently back, and, placing himself in a firm attitude full in front of the cavern, held the point of the spear advanced before him.

“Martin,” he whispered, “shoot an arrow straight into that hole,—quick!”

Martin obeyed, and the arrow whizzed through the aperture. Instantly there issued from it a savage and tremendous roar, so awful that it seemed as if the very mountain were bellowing and that the cavern were its mouth. But not a muscle of the hermit’s figure moved. He stood like a bronze statue,—his head thrown back and his chest advanced, with one foot planted firmly before him and the spear pointing towards the cave. It seemed strange to Martin that a man should face what appeared to him unknown danger, so boldly and calmly; but he did not consider that the hermit knew exactly the amount of danger before him. He knew precisely the manner in which it would assail him, and he knew just what was necessary to be done in order to avert it; and in the strength of that knowledge he stood unmoved, with a slight smile upon his tightly compressed lips.

Scarcely had the roar ceased when it was repeated with tenfold fierceness; the bushes and fern leaves shook violently, and an enormous and beautifully spotted jaguar shot through the air as if it had been discharged from a cannon’s mouth. The hermit’s eye wavered not; he bent forward a hair’s-breadth; the glittering spear-point touched the animal’s breast, pierced through it, and came out at its side below the ribs. But the force of the bound was too great for the strength of the weapon: the handle snapped in twain, and the transfixed jaguar struck down the hermit and fell writhing upon him!

In the excitement of the moment Barney drew his pistol from his belt and snapped it at the animal. It was well for the hermit at that moment that Barney had forgotten to prime his weapon; for, although he aimed at the jaguar’s skull, there is no doubt whatever that he would have blown out the hermit’s brains. Before he could make a second attempt, Martin sprang towards the gun which leaned against the cliff, and, running quickly up, he placed the muzzle close to the jaguar’s ear and lodged a bullet in its brain. All this was done in a few seconds, and the hermit regained his legs just as the animal fell dead. Fortunately he was not hurt, having adroitly avoided the sharp claws of his enemy.

“Arrah! Mister Hermit,” said Barney, wiping the perspiration from his forehead, “it’s yersilf that was well-nigh done for this time, an’ no mistake. Did iver I see sich a spring! an’ ye stud the charge jist like a stone wall,—niver moved a fut!”

“Are you not hurt?” inquired Martin, somewhat anxiously; “your face is all covered with blood.”

“Yes, boy, but it is the blood of the jaguar; thanks to you for your quick hand, I am not hurt at all.”

The hermit washed his face in the neighbouring brook, and then proceeded to skin the jaguar, the carcase being worthless. After which they retraced their steps through the woods as quickly as possible, for the day was now far spent, and the twilight as we have before remarked, is so short in tropical latitudes that travellers require to make sure of reaching the end of the day’s journey towards evening, unless they choose to risk losing their way, and spending the night in the forest.

They picked up the iguana in passing; and, on reaching the spot where the armadillo had burrowed, the hermit paused and kindled a small fire over the hole, by means of his flint, steel, and tinder-box. He thus contrived to render the creature’s habitation so uncomfortable that it rushed hurriedly out; then, observing that its enemies were waiting, it doubled its head and tail together, and became the image of a rough stone.

“Poor thing,” said Martin, as the hermit killed it; “that reminds me of the ostrich of the desert, which, I’m told, when it is chased over the plains by men on horseback, and finds that it cannot escape, thrusts its head into a bush, and fancies, no doubt, that it cannot be seen, although its great body is visible a mile off!”

“Martin,” said Barney, “this arth is full o’ quare craturs intirely.”

“That’s true, Barney; and not the least ‘quare’ among them is an Irishman, a particular friend of mine!”

“Hould yer tongue, ye spalpeen, or I’ll put yer head in the wather!”

“I wish ye would, Barney, for it is terribly hot and mosquito-bitten, and you couldn’t have suggested anything more delightful. But here we are once more at our forest-home; and now for a magnificent cup of coffee and a mandioca-cake.”

“Not to mintion,” added Barney, “a juicy steak of Igu Anny, an’ a tender chop o’ Army Dillo.”