But he drew upon his reserves of pride which were large.

He would not awaken Obed, but, drawing the pistol and holding his fingers on trigger and hammer, he walked a little distance down the bank of the stream.

That terrible p-u, p-u, p-u, suddenly sounded much closer at hand, and Ned shrank back, stiffening with horror.
A great black beast, by far the largest wild animal that he had ever seen, came silently out of the jungle and stood before the boy.

He was a good seven feet in length, black as a coal, low but of singularly thick and heavy build.

His shoulders and paws were more powerful than those of a tiger.