Then, as I watched him, I saw his hand stealing towards his gun, and he looked at me and pointed towards where a dense patch of big trees formed a sort of buttress to the great green wall of the forest.
For a few moments I could see nothing; then I started, and my hand also went towards my piece, for peering round the trunk of one of the trees, and evidently watching us, was one of the most hideous-looking faces I had ever seen.

The eyes were bright and overhung by dark wrinkled brows, and, seen in the half light, the head seemed as large as that of a man.

In fact I was convinced that it was some fierce savage playing the spy upon our actions.
I felt better when I had fast hold of my gun--not that I meant to fire, only to protect myself--and I was reaching out a foot to awaken the doctor, who had thrown himself back with his hat over his face, when I found that Gyp had caught sight of the hideous countenance, and, with a fierce bay, he dashed at the creature.
Jack Penny and I started to our feet, Jimmy went after the dog, waddy in hand, and his yell awakened the doctor, who also sprang to his feet just in time to see the creature leap up at a pendent branch, swing itself up in the tree, and disappear amongst the thick leafage, while Gyp barked furiously below.
"Big monkey that, my lads," said the doctor.

"I did not know we should see anything so large." Jack Penny was all eagerness to follow and get a shot at the animal; but though he looked in all directions, and Gyp kept baying first at the foot of one tree then at the foot of another, he did not see it again.
Where it went it was impossible to say; perhaps it travelled along the upper branches, swinging itself from bough to bough by its long arms; but if it did, it was all so silently that not so much as a leaf rustled, and we were all at fault.
I was not sorry, for the idea of shooting anything so like a human being, and for no reason whatever, was rather repugnant to my feelings, so that I did not share in my companion's disappointment.
"Depend upon it, he has not gone far," said the doctor, when Jack Penny stood staring at the tree where we saw the ape first.

"There, lie down, my lad, and rest, and--hallo! what's the matter with Jimmy ?" I turned to see the black standing close by, his waddy in one hand, his boomerang in the other, head bent, knees relaxed, an expression of the greatest horror in his face, as he shivered from head to foot, and shook his head.
"Why, what's the matter, Jimmy ?" I cried.
"Bunyip," he whispered, "big bunyip debble--debble--eat all a man up.
Bunyip up a tree." "Get out!" I said; "it was a big monkey." "Yes: big bunyip monkey.