He was wide awake at once, and all his faculties, even to his anger, were aroused.
"Git out, ye owld sarpent!" he shouted, springing to his feet.

"Git out, or I'll smash yer head the same as I smashed the assassin's, barring I didn't do it!" The affrighted animal leaped back several yards, as lightly as a shadow.

Teddy caught only a glimpse of the beast, but could plainly detect the phosphorescent glitter of his angry eyes, that watched every movement.

The Irishman's first proceeding was to replenish the fire.

This kept the creature at a safe distance, although he began trotting around and around, as if to seek some unguarded loophole through which to compass the destruction of the man who had thus invaded his dominions.
The tread of the animal resembled the rattling of raindrops upon the leaves, while its silence, its gliding motion, convinced the inexperienced Irishman of the brute's exceedingly dangerous character.
His rifle was too much injured to be of use and he could therefore only keep his precocious foe at a safe distance by piling on fuel until the camp-fire burned defiantly.
There was no more sleep for Teddy that night.