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Godfrey held his gun pointed, and threatened the animal with his second barrel. But before Godfrey could stop him, Carefinotu had rushed at the place where the tiger disappeared, his hunting-knife in his hand. Godfrey shouted for him to stop, to come back! It was in vain.
What particularly attracted the attention of Carefinotu were the weapons carried by Godfrey and Tartlet as much the musket in the hand as the revolver in the belt. Godfrey easily understood this sentiment of curiosity. It was evident that the savage had never seen a fire-arm. He said to himself that this was one of those iron tubes which had launched the thunder-bolt that had delivered him?
To his great surprise, Carefinotu had done the same! Yes! the black, seizing the second musket a weapon which he had never before handled had filled his pockets with cartridges and taken his place at the second window. Then the reports of the guns began to echo from the embrasures. By the flashes, Godfrey on the one side, and Carefinotu on the other, beheld the foes they had to deal with.
Morgan," answered Carefinotu, "that to-day your Uncle Will ought to reach us, and that if he doesn't turn up we are done for!" At that instant, and before Godfrey could reply, the report of fire-arms was heard not far from Will Tree.
In truth Tartlet must have got on excellently, for at the end of fifteen days he actually knew fifteen words! He knew that Carefinotu said "birsi" for fire, "aradore" for the sky, "mervira" for the sea, "doura" for a tree, &c. He was as proud of this as if he had taken the first prize for Polynesian at some examination!
They both hurried along, and at last reached the upper end of the hole. A scream of terror welcomed them. It was Tartlet, who imagined he saw a panther or tiger! The unfortunate professor was clasping a branch, frightened almost out of his life lest he should fall. Carefinotu went to him, and compelled him to lean against an upright bough, to which he firmly secured him with his belt.
To jump at Godfrey, seize him in spite of himself, push him into the dwelling and slam the door, was done by Carefinotu like a flash of lightning. New roarings indicated that three or four wild beasts had just cleared the palisade. Then these horrible roarings were mingled with quite a concert of bleatings and groanings of terror.
There could be no doubt of it. Godfrey, wishing to give him, not without reason, a high idea of the power of the whites, loaded his gun, and then, showing to Carefinotu a red-legged partridge that was flying across the prairie about a hundred yards away, he shouldered it quickly, and fired. The bird fell.
With the aid of Carefinotu Godfrey began to cut regular ledges on each side, like the steps of a staircase, and these, connected by a long cord of vegetable fibre, permitted of rapid ascent up the interior. "Well," said Godfrey, when the work was done, "that gives us a town house below and a country house above!" "I had rather have a cellar, if it was in Montgomery Street!" answered Tartlet.
However, Carefinotu did not cease from looking at the two white men, not without some stupor, going from one to the other as if he wished to fix in his mind the differences which characterized them. The smile on his mouth disclosed abundant teeth of magnificent whiteness which Tartlet did not examine without a certain reserve.
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