Came a sudden shrill cry from the left--a wild screech that, for the
moment, the lads were unable to identify.
Hal immediately called a halt and all stopped to listen. It came again, a
shrill, piercing cry; and with it Anthony Stubbs hurled himself violently
upon the men ahead of him and dashed through the center of the troop.
Beside the two lads he stopped, panting. He felt more secure there.
"What was that?" he cried in a shrill voice.
The lads did not reply, but still stood listening. A third time the cry
rang out from the woods. Then Chester laughed aloud.
"It's a cat!" he exclaimed.
"A cat!" echoed Stubbs.
"Yes, cats are plentiful in the war zone. Necessity has taken the edge
off their skin-deep docility, and many of them resemble hyenas more than
the domestic pets they used to be."
"Then there is nothing to fear," said Stubbs, drawing a breath of relief.
"No," replied Chester, "there is nothing to fear so long as we are many,
but two or three of them would not hesitate to attack a single man.
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