Bunyip Land Part 52

That day we had an alarm.

Our men had been out and returned soon after sunrise, that being our custom for safety's sake. Then, too, we were very careful about having a fire, though we had no difficulty with it, for it burned freely, and the smoke rose up through the great crack in the rock above our heads, and disappeared quietly amongst the trees. But we had one or two scares: hearing voices of the blacks calling to each other, but they were slight compared to the alarm to which I alluded above.

The men, I say, were back, having been more successful than usual-- bringing us both fish and a small wild pig. We had made a good meal, and the doctor and I were lying on the armfuls of leafy boughs that formed our couch, talking for the twentieth time about our plans for the night, when all at once, just as I was saying that with a little brave effort we could pa.s.s right through the sleepy village and bring away the prisoner, I laid my hand sharply on the doctor's arm.

He raised his head at the same moment, for we had both heard the unmistakable noise given by a piece of dead twig when pressed upon by a heavy foot.

We listened with beating hearts, trying to localise the very spot whence the sound came; and when we were beginning to breathe more freely it came again, but faint and distant.

"Whoever it was has not found out that we are here," I whispered.

The doctor nodded; and just then Jack Penny, who had been resting his back, sat up and yawned loudly, ending by giving Jimmy, who was fast asleep, a sounding slap on the back.

I felt the cold perspiration ooze out of me as I glanced at the doctor.

Then turning over on to my hands and knees I crept to where Jimmy was threatening Jack with his waddy in much anger, and held up my hand.

The effect was magical. They were silent on the instant, but we pa.s.sed the rest of that day in agony.

"I'm glad that we decided to go to-night," the doctor said. "Whoever it was that pa.s.sed must have heard us, and we shall have the savages here to-morrow to see what it meant."

The night seemed as if it would never come, but at last the sun went down, and in a very short time it was dark.

Our plans were to go as near as we dared to the village as soon as darkness set in, place our men, and then watch till the savages seemed to be asleep, and then, by Jimmy's help, seek out my father's prison, bring him away to the cave, and there rest for a day or two, perhaps for several, as I have said. But the events of the day had made us doubtful of the safety of our refuge; and, after talking the matter over with the doctor, we both came to the conclusion that we would leave the latter part of our plan to take care of itself.

"First catch your hare, Joe!" said the doctor finally. "And look here, my lad; I begin to feel confident now that this prisoner is your father.

We must get him away. It is not a case of _try_! We _must_, I say; and if anything happens to me--"

"Happens to you!" I said aghast.

"Well; I may be captured in his place!" he said smiling. "If I am, don't wait, don't spare a moment, but get off with your prize. I don't suppose they will do more than imprison me. I am a doctor, and perhaps I can find some favour with them."

"Don't talk like that, doctor!" I said, grasping his hand. "We must hold together."

"We must release your father!" he said sternly. "There, that will do."

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO.

HOW WE HEARD A BLACK DISCUSSION AND DID NOT UNDERSTAND.

The rescue party consisted of the doctor, Ti-hi, and myself, with Jimmy for guide. Jack Penny was to take command of the cave, and be ready to defend it and help us if attacked or we were pursued. At the same time he was to have the bearers and everything in readiness for an immediate start, in case we decided to continue our flight.

"I think that's all we can say, Penny," said the doctor in a low grave voice, as we stood ready to start. "Everything must depend on the prisoners. Now be firm and watchful. Good-bye."

"I sha'n't go to sleep," said Jack Penny. "I say, though, hadn't you better take Gyp?"

"Yes, yes; take Gyp!" I said; "he knows the way so well."

"Jimmy know a way so well, too!" said the black. "No take a dog--Gyp!"

But we decided to take the dog, and creeping down into the bed of the rivulet we stood in the darkness listening, shut-in, as it were, by the deep silence.

"Forward, Jimmy!" said the doctor, and his voice sounded hollow and strange.

Gyp uttered a whine--that dog had been so well trained that he rarely barked--ran quickly up the further bank of the rivulet; Jimmy trotted after him, waddy in hand; the doctor went next, I followed, and Ti-hi brought up the rear.

One minute the stars were s.h.i.+ning brightly over us, the next we were under the great forest trees, and the darkness was intense.

"Keep close to me, my lad," the doctor whispered; and I followed him by the ear more than by the eye; but somehow the task grew easier as we went on, and I did not once come in contact with a tree.

By the way Gyp took us I don't suppose it was more than six miles to the savages' village; and though we naturally went rather slowly, the excitement I felt was so great that it seemed a very little while before Jimmy stopped short to listen.

"Hear um talk.u.m talk.u.m," he whispered.

We could neither of us hear a sound, but I had great faith in Jimmy's hearing, for in old times he had given me some remarkable instances of the acuteness of this sense.

"Jimmy go first see!" he whispered; and the next minute we knew that we were alone with Ti-hi, Jimmy and the dog having gone on to scout.

"I detest having to depend upon a savage!" muttered the doctor; "it seems so degrading to a civilised man."

"But they hear and see better than we do."

"Yes," he said; "it is so."

There we waited in that dense blackness beneath the trees, listening to the faintest sound, till quite an hour had elapsed, and we were burning to go on, when all at once Ti-hi, who was behind us, uttered a faint hiss, and as we turned sharply a familiar voice said:

"All rightums! Jimmy been round round, find um Ma.s.s Joe fader!"

"You have found him?" I cried.

"Not talk shouto so!" whispered Jimmy. "Black fellow come."

"But have you found him?" I whispered.

"Going a find um; all soon nuff!" he replied coolly. "Come long now."

He struck off to the right and we followed, going each minute more cautiously, for we soon heard the busy hum of many voices--a hum which soon after developed into a loud chatter, with occasional angry outbursts, as if something were being discussed.

Jimmy went on, Gyp keeping close to his heels now, as if he quite understood the importance of not being seen. We had left the dense forest, and were walking in a more open part among tall trees, beneath which it was black as ever, but outside the stars shone brilliantly, and it was comparatively light.

The voices seemed so near now that I thought we were going too far, and just then Jimmy raised his hand and stopped us, before what seemed to be a patch of black darkness, and I found that we were in the shadow cast by a long hut, whose back was within a yard or so of our feet.

Jimmy placed his lips close to my ear, then to the doctor's, and to each of us he whispered:

"Soon go sleep--sleep. Find Ma.s.s Joe fader, and go away fast. All top here Jimmy go see."

I quite shared with the doctor the feeling of helpless annoyance at having to depend so much on the black; but I felt that he was far better able to carry out this task than we were, so stood listening to the buzz of voices, that seemed now to arise on every hand.