forgotten my club, and not having taken the precaution to cut
another, I buttoned my jacket, doubled my fists, and threw myself
into a boxing attitude. I must say, however, that I felt somewhat
uneasy; and my companions afterwards confessed that their thoughts
at this moment had been instantly filled with all they had ever
heard or read of wild beasts and savages, torturings at the stake,
roastings alive, and such like horrible things. Suddenly the
pattering noise increased with tenfold violence. It was followed
by a fearful crash among the bushes, which was rapidly repeated, as
if some gigantic animal were bounding towards us. In another
moment an enormous rock came crashing through the shrubbery,
followed by a cloud of dust and small stones, flew close past the
spot where we stood, carrying bushes and young trees along with it.

"Pooh! is that all?" exclaimed Peterkin, wiping the perspiration
off his forehead. "Why, I thought it was all the wild men and
beasts in the South Sea Islands galloping on in one grand charge to
sweep us off the face of the earth, instead of a mere stone
tumbling down the mountain side."

"Nevertheless," remarked Jack, "if that same stone had hit any of
us, it would have rendered the charge you speak of quite
unnecessary, Peterkin."

This was true, and I felt very thankful for our escape. On
examining the spot more narrowly, we found that it lay close to the
foot of a very rugged precipice, from which stones of various sizes
were always tumbling at intervals. Indeed, the numerous fragments
lying scattered all around might have suggested the cause of the
sound, had we not been too suddenly alarmed to think of anything.