Shaddy looked sharply round as they crossed the clearing, all three
breathing more freely at being once more in the open and without the
oppression of being completely shut in by trees on all sides, while the
dense foliage overhead completely hid the sky. This was now one
glorious suffusion of amber and gold, for the sun was below the horizon,
and night close at hand, though, after the gloom of the primeval forest,
it seemed to Rob and his companions as if they had just stepped out into
the beginning of a glorious day.
"Don't see no fire," growled Shaddy. "We're all horribly down about
losing poor Mr Jovanni. But we must have rest and food, or we can't
work. Here, my lads, where are you?" he shouted in the dialect the men
best understood.
They were about half-way across the opening in the forest as he shouted
to the men, and the river was running like a stream of molten gold; but
the boat had been probably moored somewhere among the trees, so as to be
safer than in the swift current, for it was not visible.
"D'ye hear, you?" roared Shaddy fiercely, for he was out of temper from
weariness with his exertions during the day. "Are you all asleep?
There's going to be about the hottest row over this, Mr Brazier, as
ever them lazy half-breed dogs got into. You pay them well to work, and
instead of there being a good fire, and cooked meat and fish, and hot
cake, and boiling water, they're all fast asleep in that boat."
He stopped short and looked about him; then, placing both hands to his
mouth to make a trumpet, he uttered a stentorian roar, which echoed from
the tall bank of trees on the opposite side of the river.
The only answer was the shriek of a macaw from across the water, where a
pair of the long-tailed birds rose from a tall tree and winged their way
over the tops. Directly after there was a sharp yell, evidently the
call of some cat-like beast.
"I'll go over yonder and look among the trees, Mr Brazier, sir," said
Shaddy, after waiting for some more satisfactory reply, "and I'll take
it kindly if you and Mr Rob will have a look among them standing in the
water that side. I dessay the boat's run up close as they can get it
one side or the other."
Brazier nodded, and went to one side of the clearing, while Shaddy
forced his way through the low growth toward the other, Rob following
close upon his leader's steps till they reached the submerged trees and
worked along their edge, peering in amongst them as rapidly as they
could, for there was no time to be lost. Night was coming on with
tropical swiftness, and already the glorious amber tint was paling in
the sky, and the water beneath the trees looking black.
"See anything of them, Rob?" cried Brazier again and again; but the
answer was always the same: a low despondent "No."
All at once there was a loud shout, and they looked back to see Shaddy
waving his cap and beckoning to them.
"Found them?" cried Rob as he ran to meet their guide.
"No, my lad; they're not here. Might have known it by there being no
fire. Hi, Mr Brazier, sir!"
The latter came panting up, for it required no little exertion to get
through the dense bushes and thick grass.
"What is it? Where are they?"
"That's what I want to know, sir. But look here, I'm so fagged out that
my head won't go properly. I mean I can't think straight."
"What do you mean, man?"
"This, sir: look round, both of you, 'fore it gets darker. I'm all
doubty, and I've got thinking that we've come to the wrong place."
"What?" cried Rob excitedly.
"I say I've got a fancy that this ain't the right place, for there's no
one here, and no boat, and there ain't been no fire."
"How do you know, Shaddy?"
"'Cause, if the boys had made a fire, they would nat'rally have put it
there under that patch of bushes near the trees."
"Why there, and not anywhere else?"
"'Cause that's the place any one used to making fires on the rivers
would pick at once. It's shaded from the wind, handy to the trees, so
as to get plenty of dead wood, and nigh the river to fetch water."
"But the other side would have done as well," said Rob excitedly.
"No, it wouldn't, sir, for the wind ketches there, and the sparks and
smoke would be blowing all over the place. I say, is this the place
where we left the boat this morning?"
"I--I dare not say, Naylor," replied Brazier, after a little hesitation.
"I am so faint and worn-out that I too cannot be certain."
"I'm sure it is," said Rob quickly.
"There's some one who can think, then," cried Shaddy. "Stop a moment,
though, Mr Rob, sir. Tell me how is it you are sure?"
"Because I noticed that big tree on the other side of the water--that
one out of which those two big birds flew. There, you can see it
plainly against the sky."
"Bah! nonsense, my lad! There are thousands of those great trees
about."
"But not like that, Shaddy," said Rob eagerly. "Look there against the
light. It's just like a man's face, a giant's, as if he were lying on
his back, and you can see the forehead, nose, and chin, and a big beard
quite plainly."
"Well, it do look like it, cert'nly," growled Shaddy.
"Then, too, I remember the shape of the bank, and look how the river
bends round and comes in a curve. Of course this is the place; I'm
quite sure it is."
"Right, my lad! so was I, quite sure," cried Shaddy dismally; "but I was
hoping and praying that I might be wrong, because if you are right,
sir--No, I won't say it."
"Yes, you will, Naylor," cried Brazier sternly. "Speak out."
"What! if it's very bad, sir?"
"Yes, my man; this is no time for trifling. Tell me the worst."
"There's Mr Rob here, sir," said the guide, in a tone full of protest.
"I want to know the worst, too, Shaddy," said Rob resignedly.
"Then I'll tell you, gentlemen, only don't blame me for making your
hearts as sore as mine is now."
"Tell us everything, my man. For bad or good, in this journey we must
work together for our mutual help and protection, not merely as master
and paid servant, but as Englishmen in a strange country, as brothers in
a foreign land."
"And that's how I'm trying to work for you, Mr Brazier, sir," said
Shaddy huskily, "and it goes hard with me to tell you what I'm 'fraid
on."
"And that is?" said Brazier, while Rob bent forward listening with
throbbing heart.
"Either those lads of mine have met with a bad accident, or they have
gone off with the boat and left us to starve and die."
"Taken--the boat--the stores--the guns?" faltered Rob.
"My collection and the means of prosecuting my researches?" cried
Brazier.
"Yes, sir; that's it, I'm afraid, but I hope I'm wrong."
The two collectors stood silent for a few moments, for the announcement
was appalling, and it took time to grasp all the horrors of their
position. For to all intents and purposes they were as much cut off
from help as if they had been upon some tiny islet in mid-ocean, the
river being useless without a boat, and three days' experience alone
sufficient to show them the madness of attempting to travel through the
forest. In addition they were without food and wanting in the means of
obtaining a meal, let alone subsistence from day to day.
Silence then, and with it darkness, fell upon the startled group, till
Rob said sturdily,--
"We're all too tired to do anything or think anything till we have
rested and had some food. I'm ready to drop."
"Them's wise words," said Shaddy. "No one could have said better. This
way, gen'lemen, please!"
He turned sharply round and led them toward the side of the opening in
the forest which had been the scene of his search.
"What are you going to do, Naylor?" asked Brazier.
"What every man does first, sir, when night comes on in the wilds: light
a fire to keep off the wild beasts."
A thrill of dread passed through Rob at this, for he had been too intent
upon the discovery they had made to think anything of their danger. But
now he glanced uneasily round, and saw the eyes of wild beasts glaring
at them from the dense forest in all directions, till he was ready to
laugh at his folly, for the gleaming eyes were fire-flies.
Meanwhile Shaddy led them straight to the spot he had notified as being
the one likely to be selected by a halting party for their fire, and
here, with the help of the others, sufficient dead wood was collected to
start a very small blaze, by whose light they proceeded to collect more
and more from the edge of the forest beyond where the river had risen.
But it was slow and arduous work for weary people, and they were
constantly finding wood that was too small or else that which was too
heavy to stir. Still they persevered, and at last so good a fire was
burning that there was no fear of an attack by any prowling beast, and
as its flames rose higher their task grew less difficult, and by joining
hands a good pile of dead limbs was laid ready for keeping up the blaze.
"Something cheery 'bout a fire!" said Shaddy when it was decided that
they had enough wood to last the night. "Next thing ought to be supper,
gentlemen."
"And we have nothing," said Rob despairingly.
"On'y water," said Shaddy, "plenty of that."
"_Qui dort dine_, Rob," said Brazier quietly.
"Speak to me, sir?" said Shaddy.
"No, but I will, my man," replied Brazier. "The French say that he who
sleeps dines."
"That's true, sir," said Shaddy, "on'y it's disappointing when you wake.
I've lain down to go to sleep lots of times like this, tired out and
hungry, and dropped asleep directly; and as soon as I've been asleep
I've begun to dream about eating all kinds of good things. It's very
nice in the dreaming, but it don't keep up your courage."
"There is nothing that we could possibly get to eat, is there, Shaddy,"
said Rob,--"no berries nor fruit?"
"Couldn't find 'em to-night, sir. In the morning I daresay I can get
some berries; might manage a fish, too, to roast at daybreak."
"But the ground! it is so damp," said Rob.
"A few boughs will keep off the damp, Mr Rob, sir; so I say, let's all
sleep."
"But oughtn't we to keep watch in turns, Naylor?" said Brazier.
"In an ordinary way, sir, yes, one would say it's a duty--what a man
should do," replied the guide gravely; "and I don't deny there's dangers
about. But we've done all we can do, as men without weapons, by
lighting that fire. I shall wake up now and then to throw on some
branches and then lie down again. We can do no good more than we have
done, and at a time like this I always think it is a man's duty to say,
`Can I do anything else?' and, if he feels he can't, just say his bit of
prayer and leave it to One above to watch over him through the dark
hours of the night."
"Amen," said Brazier solemnly, and half an hour after, a pile of freshly
broken-off boughs had been laid near the fire, and all lay down in
perfect faith and trust to sleep and wait for the next day.
Shaddy dropped off at once, while Brazier lay talking in a low tone to
Rob, trying to instil some hopefulness.
"Please God," he said at last, "day will bring us help and counsel, my
lad, and perhaps give prospects of finding poor Joe."
He ceased speaking, and directly after Rob knew by his regular breathing
that he too was asleep. But that greatest blessing would not come to
the boy, and he lay gazing now at the dancing flames, now trying to
pierce the darkness beyond, and ever and again seeing dangers in the
apparently moving shadows cast by the fire.
There were the noises, too, in the forest and along the river bank,
sounding more appalling than ever, and as he listened and tried to
picture the various creatures that howled, shrieked, and uttered those
curious cries, he fully expected to hear that peculiar terror-inspiring
sound which had puzzled even Shaddy, the old traveller and sojourner in
the forest wilds.
The horrible cry did not come, but as Rob lay there, too weary to sleep,
too much agitated by the events of the day to grow calm and fit for
rest, that sound always seemed to the lad as if it were about to break
out close to where he lay, and the fancy made his breath come short and
thick, till the remembrance of his boy-comrade once more filled his
mind, and he lay trying to think out some way by which it was possible
that Joe had escaped that day. These thoughts stayed in his mind as the
fire died out from before his heavy eyes, and at last, in spite of all,
he too slept heavily, and dreamed of the young Italian coming to him
holding out his hand frankly and then in foreign fashion leaning toward
him and kissing him on the cheek.
At the touch Rob leaped back into wakefulness, rose to his elbow, and
looked sharply round, perfectly convinced that his cheek had been
touched, and that, though in his sleep, he had felt warm breath across
his face.
But there was nothing to see save the blazing fire, whose snapping and
crackling mingled with the croaking, hissing, and strange cries from the
forest. Fire-flies glided here and there, and scintillated about the
bushes; Brazier and Shaddy both slept hard; and the peculiar cry of a
jaguar or other cat-like animal came softly from somewhere at a
distance.
"Fancy!" said Rob softly as he sank down, thinking of Shaddy's last
words that night. The troubles of the day died away, and he dropped off
fast asleep again, to begin once more dreaming of Joe, and that they
were together in the cabin of the boat side by side.
And it all seemed so real, that dream; he could feel the warmth from the
young Italian's body in the narrow space, and it appeared to him that
Joe moved uneasily when there was a louder cry than usual in the forest
and crept closer to him for protection, even going so far as to lay an
arm across his chest, inconveniencing him and feeling hot and heavy, but
he refrained from stirring, for fear of waking him up.
Then the dream passed away, and he was awake, wondering whether he
really was in the cabin again, with Joe beside him. No; he was lying on
the boughs beside the fire, but so real had that dream seemed that the
fancy was on him still that he could feel the warmth of Joe's body and
the boy's arm across his chest.
"And it was all a dream," thought Rob, with the bitter tears rising to
his eyes, as he gazed upward at the trees, "a dream--a dream!"
No, it was no dream. He was awake now, and there was a heavy arm across
his chest and a head by his side.
"Joe! Oh, Joe!" cried Rob aloud; and he grasped at the arm, touched it,
felt its pressure for an instant, and then it was gone, while at his cry
both Shaddy and Brazier sprang up.
"What is it?"
"I--I--think I must have been dreaming," said Rob excitedly. "I woke
with a start, fancying Joe had come back, and that he was lying down
beside me."
"A dream, Rob, my lad!" said Brazier, with a sigh. "Lie down again,
boy; your brain is over-excited. Try once more to sleep."
Rob obeyed, feeling weak and hysterical; but after a few minutes sleep
came once more, and it was morning when he reopened his eyes.