"Lost!" said Murray, bitterly.
"No," replied Mr Braine, quietly; "they have to take us yet."
"Hist!" whispered Hamet, and parting the overhanging boughs, he forced
the boat in till, as far as they could tell, they were hidden--a branch
acting as anchor--and they listened to the water rippling by them, and
the beat, beat, of the oars.
Sound travels so rapidly over smooth water, that it was long before the
fugitives could feel that the boat was close at hand. Then, on it sped
nearer, and above the sound of the oars came that of voices in low,
angry discussion. Two of the leaders were evidently disputing, and
their words were plain to three at least on board.
Abreast now, and becoming then just visible through the drooping boughs,
and as Ned and Frank sat together, hand clasped in hand, the unspoken
question was: "Will any of the keen eyes on board see us."
"Our escape cut off this way," thought Ned, the next moment; and then he
placed his lips close to Frank's ear and whispered, for the boy had
suddenly given his hand a quick pressure.
"What did they say?"
"It was the Muntrie," whispered Frank in the same way. "Says there is
no boat missing, and that we can't be on the river. The only boat out
is the one up by, where we are in prison."
"Hist!" came from Hamet, and instead of the sound of oars growing
fainter, they waxed loud.
The boat had been turned, and swept by them again down stream, the
search being deemed useless.
Ten minutes after, when the beat of oars had died away, the boat was
thrust out again, and all joined now in sending her up stream with a
quiet steady stroke, which was kept to for a couple of hours; and then
all at once the river mist began to be flushed with opal tints, the
haggard faces of the occupants of the boat grew plain, and marks of
blood were detected and rapidly washed away.
The bright sunshine and some refreshment sent a gleam of hopefulness
into every breast, and the men rowed on with renewed energy. They were
all together now, and if they could manage to sustain life for a few
days, they would be able either to reach the campong of the neighbouring
rajah, and throw themselves on his mercy, or, after hiding, drop down
the river some dark night.
As the sun rose higher, their exertions began to tell; the strokes given
by Frank and Ned grew more feeble, and a suitable place being found, the
boat was run in under shelter among the overhanging boughs, and an
hour's rest taken. Then once more forward, in spite of the heat, till
well on in the afternoon, when, as Frank and Ned were again resting, and
the boat was slowly making way against the stream, Ned spoke, for the
first time for quite an hour.
"I suppose we've passed the place where they took us."
"Eh?" cried Frank, starting. "I don't know. I forgot that. I say,
Hamet, hadn't we better go on the other side of the river?"
He had hardly uttered the words, when a spear flew from among the bushes
not many yards away, and stuck in the bottom of the boat close to where
Hamet was seated.
Mr Braine snatched his revolver from his waist and fired in the
direction of the enemy, who replied with a couple more spears, both of
which fell short, dropping into the water with a light splash, for Hamet
had made a tremendous sweep with his oar, and sent the boat's head round
toward the farther shore, so that in a minute or two they were out of
danger.
"I will not fire again," Mr Braine said; "not that it much matters, for
these men will warn any boat which follows that we have gone by."
At last the heat began to be less oppressive, and better progress was
made. The party were divided into two crews, one of which rested while
the other pulled, the four ladies insisting all through the night in
taking an oar, so that as the sun rose next morning, they had reached
the spot where the party had made their first exploring trip--the open
park-like tract beyond the jungle, with a view of the hill-country in
the distance.
"Why not halt here for a few hours!" the doctor said. "It is impossible
for us to go on without getting food, and to stop at any village means
danger."
His propositions were acceded to, and the boat run into a nook, where it
was hidden from any one passing along the river; and the possibility and
risk of shooting something to supplement their supplies were being
discussed, when once more Hamet raised his hand.
There it was again, the faint beat of oars a long distance off, but
plainly indicating pursuit; and with the knowledge that the enemy on the
bank would tell of their passing, it was decided to land at once and
strike for the hills. The mist would hide them for the time, and if
their boat was not discovered, it would still be available after the
danger had passed.
Very few minutes had elapsed before they were all ashore, and once more
taking the way through the park-like country, Frank acting as guide, and
taking care to keep his party well hidden from the river; an easy enough
task, as the open glades were well furnished with clumps of trees, each
of which acted as a screen from any one who might be in pursuit.
Of this, however, as the hours passed, there seemed no sign, and place
after place was recognised in passing. The morning was glorious, and to
the great satisfaction of all, game was seen to be sufficiently
plentiful to set famine at defiance. But, of course, no shot was fired,
the efforts of all being devoted to reaching the hills, where the first
halt would be made for rest and food.
The comparative coolness of the air as they ascended, the lovely scenery
of the higher ground, and the feeling of hopefulness that danger was
escaped, at all events for the present, made the long tramp pleasant;
and the ladies laughingly disclaimed all feelings of fatigue, when Mr
Braine called a halt beneath a huge tree high up on the slope they had
ascended, and from which they had their first glimpse of the river they
had left.
They had just seated themselves about the baskets, and were laughingly
sharing out the shrunken remains of the provisions hastily gathered,
when the doctor said, "How long do you think it will be before the Rajah
gives up the pursuit?" when Tim, who had been getting his breakfast
ready, as he merrily whispered to the boys, and withdrawn to take it in
smoke some distance apart, suddenly jogged his master's elbow.
"What is it, Tim? Oh yes; you are not forgotten. This is our--"
"Sure, we're none of us forgotten," whispered Tim, pointing.
And there, to the horror of the party, in a bend of the river, and
apparently close to the spot where they had landed, lay two large prahus
in the broad sunshine.
Every eye was fixed upon them as they glided straight in their direction
along one of the bends of the winding river.
"Well, he means to capture us," said Mr Braine, quietly, as the prahus
disappeared behind the trees; "but he will have to land his men, and
even if they came on at once, it must be hours before they reached here.
So breakfast, dinner, or whatever it is, and then another start."
The sight of the prahus did not act as an appetiser, but the meal was
eaten, great care being exercised that no traces of their stay were
scattered about, and then once more the word was "Forward!" and the
tramp for safety recommenced in silence.
As they went on, Frank pointed to where Murray had shot his various
specimens and found the pieces of tin ore; and they went on higher till
a comparatively open spot was reached before crossing, where, as they
were now so high, Frank stopped to reconnoitre, gazing down with shaded
eyes into the plain and along the park-like slope they had ascended.
"I can't see any sign of the prahus, Frank," said Ned. "There's nothing
on the river. Oh!"
"What's the matter?"
"Something flashed half a mile away there. Look down to the left of
that great tree. That's the one where we stopped to eat."
"Spears. I see," whispered Frank. "Here, Hamet."
The man stepped to his side.
"Look!"
Hamet crept forward and peered between the leaves of a bush, and gazed
down for some moments in silence. Then turning, he said calmly:
"Thirteen of the rajah's men. They are tracking us by the marks we have
left, and will overtake us in less than an hour."
This was spoken in broken English, but no speech was ever more
impressive to the hearers, and the gentlemen pressed together, while the
ladies listened as if to their fate.
"Well," said Mr Braine, hoarsely. "You see. What do you say?
Surrender or fight?"
"Fight," said Murray, after exchanging a glance with Amy; and the two
boys uttered a faint "Hurrah!"