startled by a horrid, half-human, half-bestial scream a
little ahead and to the right of us. It seemed to come from
a clump of rank and tangled bush not far from where Delcarte
stood. It was a horrid, fearsome sound, the like of which
never had fallen upon my ears before.

We looked in the direction from which it came. The smile
had died from Delcarte's lips. Even at the distance we were
from him I saw his face go suddenly white, and he quickly
threw his rifle to his shoulder. At the same moment the
thing that had given tongue to the cry moved from the
concealing brushwood far enough for us, too, to see it.

Both Taylor and Snider gave little gasps of astonishment and
dismay.

"What is it, sir?" asked the latter.

The creature stood about the height of a tall man's waist,
and was long and gaunt and sinuous, with a tawny coat
striped with black, and with white throat and belly. In
conformation it was similar to a cat--a huge cat,
exaggerated colossal cat, with fiendish eyes and the most
devilish cast of countenance, as it wrinkled its bristling
snout and bared its great yellow fangs.

It was pacing, or rather, slinking, straight for Delcarte,
who had now leveled his rifle upon it.

"What is it, sir?" mumbled Snider again, and then a half-