As for Sneezer, he lay
with his black muzzle resting on his fore paws, which were thrust out
straight before him, until they almost stirred up the white embers of
the fire; with his eyes shut, and apparently asleep, but from the
constant nervous twitchings and pricking up of his ears, and his
haunches being gathered up well under him, and a small quick switch of
his tail now and then, it was evident he was broad awake, and considered
himself on duty. All continued quiet and silent in our bivouac until
midnight, however, except the rushing of the river hard by, when I was
awakened by the shaking of the shed from the violent struggles of mulo
to break loose, his strong trembling thrilling along the taught cord
that held him, down the lanyard of my hammock to my neck, as he drew
himself in the intervals of his struggles as far back as he could,
proving that the poor brute suffered under a paroxysm of fear. "What
noise is that?" I roused myself. It was repeated. It was a wild cry,
or rather a loud shrill mew, gradually sinking into a deep growl. "What
the deuce is that, Sneezer?" said I. The dog made no answer, but merely
wagged his tail once, as if he had said, "Wait a bit now, master; you
shall see how well I shall acquit myself, for this is in my way." Ten
yards from the shed under which I slept, there was a pigsty, surrounded
by a sort of tiny stockade a fathom high, make of split cane, wove into
wickerwork between upright rails sunk into the ground; and by the clear
moonlight I could, as I lay in my hammock, see an animal larger than an
English bulldog, but with the stealthy pace of the cat, crawl on in a
crouching attitude until within ten feet of the sty, when it stopped,
looked round, and then drew itself back, and made a scrambling jump
against the cane defence, hooking on to the top of it by its fore paws.
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