An Awkward Predicament
The first halt was made at noon when little more than eight miles had
been traversed. The country encountered from the start had been a soft
powdery sand formation, with occasional belts of dwarfed eucalypti,
which intervened from the north. Progress was necessarily slow at this
early stage of the journey, for it was advisable to allow the camels to
harden to their work gradually.
Mackay had so far led the march, steering an approximate course by the
sun, but immediately they stopped, he called Bob aside for a conference.
"You see," he said, "when we went out before we started from a more
northerly latitude, an' I calculate we should hit our old track in
another hundred and eighty miles if we keep angling in a wee bit north
o' east. I've got a copy o' the log up to pretty near the--the finish,
an' here's where I think we ought to join on to Bentley's route." He
unfolded a long track chart which he carried in his hand; it was made up
of several sheets of ordinary note-paper, gummed laterally together, and
on its much faded surface several inky hieroglyphics stood out bravely.
He pointed to a besmeared cross nearly halfway over the chart, and Bob,
looking closely, read the printed lettering beside it: "Fortunate
Spring, lat. 28° 17´ 5´´, long. 125° 19´ 6´´."
[Illustration: "HE UNFOLDED A LONG TRACK CHART WHICH HE CARRIED IN HIS
HAND"]
"We are somewhere under the twenty-fifth parallel just now," reflected
Bob. "That means we are about 120 miles south of your old track. I'd
better draw out our present position on my own chart and mark a compass
course for Fortunate Spring."
Mackay looked relieved. "Be vera exact wi' your calculations, my lad,"
he said earnestly, as he walked away.
Bob took the sun's altitude three times while a hasty lunch was being
prepared, and laboriously checked each result to five places of
decimals, then he carefully marked their temporary camp's position on
his still bare chart, and drew a dotted line thence to the location of
Fortunate Spring.
"We'll have to travel nor'-east half north to make it," said he.
Mackay nodded cheerfully. "I hope we are lucky in strikin' water," he
observed. "About ten days is our stretch without it, for the camels
can't stand more, and they can't stand that often either."
"We'll hit it right enough," commented Emu Bill, hopefully.
"If it's in the country, you kin bet I'll smell it," grunted Never
Never. "I'm strong at nosin' out water, I am."
"Oh, after that one hundred and eighty miles, I'll know where we are,"
said Mackay; "but there's always some little uncertainty as we
understood from the first, an' it won't be outside o' our calculations
if we do go thirsty a bit."
"Not a blessed fraction!" cried the Shadow, decanting the boiling tea
from the billy into the enamelled cups. "Who says sugar? You, Emu? Well,
there ain't none; have a try at saccharine, an' be happy." He gulped
down his own portion hurriedly, then ran off to round up Fireworks,
which was beginning to stray too far from his neighbours, and ten
minutes later the expedition was once more on the move.
The next several days passed uneventfully; the same uninspiring desert
sands prevailed, and the intense heat haze radiating from its shimmering
surface affected the eyes of the travellers, causing them to quiver and
blink painfully, while overhead the sun stared down from a cloudless
sky. Not a trace of moisture was visible anywhere, certainly no water
could exist amid these barren wastes, and all hoped most anxiously that
a change in the monotonous landscape might soon take place.
"It's a pretty thirsty lookin' start we've made," said Mackay, when a
week had elapsed, and they still struggled along ankle deep in the
burning sands. Bob was walking by his side keeping an eager eye on what
appeared to be a light cloud-patch on the far horizon. He had noticed it
for some time, but was unwilling to mention his hopes in case they might
be doomed to early disappointment. Now, however, he felt pretty sure
that his eyes had not deceived him.
"There's a belt of timber straight ahead," he announced quietly, after
Mackay had spoken. The elder man shifted his gaze somewhat, and with
puckered eyes surveyed the slight break on the horizon's even curve.
"You're quite richt, Bob," he remarked, with a sigh of relief. "I've
been steerin' by the shadow o' the sun across the camels, an' I've
almost mesmerized mysel', I think, or I should have seen those trees
earlier. It's a hard course for a bushman, Bob, that fractional
nor'-easter you gave me."
Emu Bill and Never Never Dave had by this time found it necessary to
assist in pulling the camels through the sand. Jack, leading Misery, had
not much difficulty with his charge, for that wiry animal plodded
steadily onward with ponderous movement despite all obstacles, but
Fireworks was by no means as energetic as he once was, and the Shadow
anathematized him roundly as he, with bent shoulders, strained at the
nose-rope of the reluctant beast, a proceeding which the two bushmen had
soon to emulate. Now, when these weary individuals heard of the
impending change in the land surface, they gave vent to their joy in
sundry whoops of delight.
"It looks likely country for water, Mac," cried Never Never, as they
drew nearer, and could plainly distinguish the feathery scrub in their
course. The sand too as they advanced, hardened considerably, and here
and there great dioritic blows reared their heads above the plain.
"You're right there, Dave," responded Mackay, after a while, "if there's
been any rain in the district for the last year or two we ought to find
a rock hole--Hillo! Easy boys, and get your rifles ready. I see a wheen
niggers dodgin' aboot among the scrub."
"Nigs!" echoed Emu Bill and Never Never almost with one voice. There was
an inflection of decided pleasure in the exclamation, as if these two
had longed for a skirmish to ease the routine of their journey. Mackay
himself seemed in no way displeased, yet he took care to impress caution
on his impetuous associates. "A spear or boomerang can kill as well's a
bullet," he warned, while each man examined his rifle. "Now, Jack, don't
be so anxious to get forrit, an' keep on the lee side o' Misery an' no'
at his head when we get near."
As yet Bob was unable to distinguish any aborigines among the sparse
scrub, but as they continued their wary advance he soon perceived
several dusky forms crouching amid the timber, and his heart gave a
bound when the savage creatures suddenly stood up and united in a shrill
yell of defiance. He had never dreamt that these wild denizens of the
bush could be so hideous; they seemed more ape than man, their faces
were covered by long tangling hair black as jet, and only white gleaming
eyes were visible; their bodies were repulsively scarred and painted.
This much Bob had time to notice, then a hail of spears rustled out from
the scrub, fell short, and buried their barbed tips in the sand at their
feet. And now the bush seemed alive with blacks; uncouth forms sprang
from the side of each tiny sapling where they had been standing
motionless, and harsh guttural screams filled the air.
"They're a bit more numerous than I thought," muttered Mackay, calling a
halt, "an' I've an idea that if we dinna rush them pretty quick, they'll
rush us. Now, Jack, swing Misery round an' let him stand, then grab your
rifle." Jack obeyed promptly, and at that moment another shower of
spears hurtled overhead.
"By gum!" growled Never Never, "they'll get our range next try."
"They're comin' for us now, I reckon!" cried the Shadow, and of that
there could be no doubt; the shrieking horde had evidently decided to
exterminate the invaders of their domain without further delay. On they
came, brandishing their waddies and boomerangs, a compact mass of
blood-thirsty black fury.
"Now, boys!" roared Mackay, "Aim low and stop them." A thunderous
discharge followed his words, and six rifles spat out their leaden
challenge to the foe. The wonderful din created by the exploding cordite
apparently stupefied the blacks for a moment; they ceased their wild
rush, and gazed with astonishment at those of their number who had
fallen. Despite Mackay's oft-repeated animosity towards the aborigines
in general, he could not countenance wholesale slaughter. "They're a
poor lot, boys," said he; yet even while he commiserated with them the
savages joined in another determined rush. There must have been over
twenty of them, and so impetuously did they come that they were within
twenty yards of the white defenders before a second volley made them
hesitate, and even now they did not all stop; a few stalwart warriors
kept on their mad course, and hurled themselves almost upon the reeking
rifle muzzles. If the attack had been made in full force things would
have gone hard with the expedition. As it was, however, the little group
had no difficulty in beating back the frenzied band. The Shadow and Jack
were in their element; they little recked of danger when plying their
heated weapons, though the vengeful club of one of the natives had
missed Jack's head by little more than a hair's breadth, and the
Shadow's face had been severely gashed by a flying boomerang. Bob could
not fail to observe how serious matters would have been had the natives
made their onrush in skirmishing order; their close blocked formation
made it impossible for even the most random shots to miss their billet,
and now as the savage and discomfited creatures sullenly withdrew, they
dragged with them many maimed and wounded comrades.
"I can't understand why the beggars are so stupid," said Bob, watching
the last of them disappear in the distance.
"Ye may learn more o' their tactics before our journey is finished,"
Mackay observed quietly; "at the same time, there is a wonderful
difference among the tribes, an' that is where the explorer's danger
lies. He may judge from a nomadic spiritless lot which he may chance to
meet that a' natives are the same, and he may gie his life for the
mistake later on."
By this time the team was again on the move, and within a few minutes a
halt was made in the densest part of the scrub, while Never Never and
Emu Bill searched around for water. But the search was vain, no welcome
spring or rock-hole could be found, and a heavy gloom began to affect
the spirits of the party whose hopes had been raised so high only to be
thus rudely dashed. Even Mackay, usually most cheerful in times of
stress and danger, looked grave as he reflected upon their somewhat
unenviable position. He knew what the others had not calculated upon. He
knew that the camels were already at their last extremity of endurance;
accustomed as they had been while at Golden Flat to drink every few
days, they had not absorbed their full supply before starting. Misery
alone, hardened veteran of many desert journeys that he was, had drunk
his fill, and now his great reserve of strength showed plainly over the
other beasts.
"I reckon them nigs had a mighty cheek to make such a howlin' fight for
nothin'," complained the Shadow. "One would have thought they was
protectin' a lake o' cool crystal water----"
"Slow up on that, Shad, or I'll squelch ye wi' an empty water-bag,"
warned Emu Bill, who could not stand reference to such an unlimited
supply of the precious fluid at this moment.
"There must be water about, all the same," said Bob. "These natives, I
suppose, get thirsty, like other people. I'm off to have a look round
myself," and he sped away.
"Be vera careful, Bob, be careful----"
But Bob was already out of earshot, pursuing a dogged course eastward in
the wake of the retreating blacks. In his hand he grasped a heavy Colt
revolver, which he had extricated from the holster on his belt. A wild
idea had seized him; he meant, if possible, to capture one of the blacks
and make him disclose the treasure they had guarded so fiercely. It was
a foolhardy plan which had so hastily formulated in his brain, and in
his calmer moments Bob would have been quick to realize what a desperate
venture was that which he had now so lightly undertaken. But the urgent
necessity of finding water was powerfully impressed upon him, and
caution for the time being was thrown to the winds. Eagerly he rushed
along, and in a few minutes had passed out of sight of his companions;
then suddenly two ebony-skinned warriors barred his path; he had
blundered right on to them by the merest accident. At a glance he saw
that they were armed with waddies and boomerangs only, their spears
having probably been discharged in the fray from which they had fled.
Yet a waddie at close quarters is no mean weapon, and Bob pulled himself
up promptly, and with a stern smile levelled his revolver. His
astonishment was great when, with a curious gurgle of mingled surprise
and fear, the dusky twain dropped their weapons and incontinently fled
before him. And now Bob's heart was filled with wrath because of the
cowardice of the pair. Had they only waited and surrendered quietly to
his request--though how he could have made them understand his wishes he
did not stop to think--all might have been well. With scarce a pause he
gave chase, covering the ground in long impetuous strides, but it soon
became evident that unless something unforeseen occurred to check the
flight of the fugitives, he could never hope to overtake them. On they
sped, clearing the sand in great bounds, even stopping at intervals to
gaze back at their pursuer. Bob's chagrin was deep, and he sent one or
two revolver bullets crashing after the disappearing couple which had
the effect of making them run the faster, while far in the rear the
excited cries of his anxious comrades showed that they were now
concerning themselves over his prolonged absence.
Yet the ardour of the pursuit had taken possession of Bob; with a mighty
effort he managed to quicken his pace so that he actually drew up
considerably on the fleet-footed pair--scarce fifty yards divided them.
"Another spurt and I've got them," thought Bob, and he clenched his
teeth and strove boldly in the attempt. Now thirty yards only separated
them, now twenty, now ten. Bob chuckled grimly to himself at the
prospect of after all being successful in the chase, and stretched out
his hand, then in an instant the hitherto level course came to an abrupt
stop, a layer of branches and spinifex grass spread right across the
track. The blacks had cleared it at a leap, but before Bob had time to
prepare for a spring he had staggered into the midst of the cut
brushwood, and at once felt himself sinking down into space. It all
occurred in a second or so. He clutched wildly at the pigmy branches as
he descended through them, but they broke in his hands, and with a rush
and a plunge he fell downwards into an unknown depth.
When he recovered himself, about a minute later, he became aware that he
was standing, considerably shaken and bruised, waist deep in some
semi-solid fluid at the bottom of a natural shaft, which he mentally
calculated to be at least twenty feet deep. He had found water for a
surety, and now would have given much to get out of its slimy embrace,
but the steep dioritic walls were quite unscalable. Bob was hopelessly a
prisoner. Then did he blame himself most bitterly for his mistaken
ardour and lack of perception. The wily natives had but pretended to be
overcome at the last wild rush so as to lead him directly over the
subterranean trap.
"Mackay was certainly right," he muttered. "Their cunning is nothing
short of devilish; and after being told of that, here I go like a fool
and prove it for myself."
He had little time, however, for unprofitable moralizings, and he peered
up and around his strange prison-house with anxious eyes, yet his
surroundings were of so murky a nature that he could only vaguely guess
the description of the trap into which he had fallen. His gaze was
instinctively directed toward the gaping hole in the brushwood through
which he had fallen, though what he expected to see there he did not
very well know. But he now realized the nature of the blacks too fully
to believe for a moment that they intended to leave him to his fate
without further molestation.
"Why, the water is bad enough as it is," he said, with a forced attempt
at pleasantry. "They'll certainly come to fish me out before long."
He had not been in his awkward predicament many minutes when a black
grinning face stared down at him. Bob shuddered and crouched closer to
the damp rocks; he was half prepared for a stone to be thrown or a spear
to be poked tantalizingly in his direction, but no such proceedings were
taken. The demoniacally leering face continued to look down at him
without movement for several seconds, when it was joined by another
equally hideous; they belonged to the two savages who had led him such
an unfortunate chase. They had now returned to view their victim after
having probably given the alarm to their fellows. Bob groaned in dismay,
but returned their gaze with stoical complacency, having not yet fully
comprehended his true position.
At length, however, his strange gaolers, with many guttural
exclamations, began to cover up the tell-tale gap in the layer of furze;
then their prisoner's senses returned to him with a rush, and his
emotions almost overwhelmed him. The blacks surely meant to cover up the
hole so that his companions might not find him, and when they would
depart after vain searchings, he would be left to the tender mercies of
the "stupid" natives he had so commiserated! In truth Bob's cup of
bitterness was filled to overflowing.
But he decided, nevertheless, to do his best to prevent the success of
their scheme. His revolver was still dry, for he had by some odd
instinct clung to it tenaciously despite his demoralizing downfall, and
now he became aware for the first time that he held it in his hand. He
fired two shots upwards in rapid succession. Operations ceased on the
instant, and Bob felt comforted. He knew that Mackay would soon seek him
out if any clue as to his whereabouts was left. His rejoicings, however,
were premature, and very speedily checked. As he gazed at the sky
through the gap which gave him light, he noticed the aperture slowly yet
surely grow narrower and narrower. The blacks were pushing the
superfluous brush over the opening by the aid of long sticks! Bob
shouted with the full force of his lungs and discharged the remaining
shots in his revolver upwards, but only a hoarse cackle of satisfaction
from the natives answered his attempts at communication with the outside
world, and soon--as the last glimpse of sky was shut out--he was
enveloped in absolute darkness.
"Well, I assuredly could not have landed myself in a worse fix if I had
tried," he soliloquized with wonderful calm. "Here I am, shut up in a
twenty-feet water-hole in the middle of the Australian desert and
surrounded by hostile savages. That's pretty good for a start--and, I'm
afraid, for a finish too." He continued his unpleasant musings, while he
carefully reloaded his revolver. Then he wondered what his companions
would do when he failed to appear, and a ray of hope flashed across his
sorely tried brain. Mackay and Emu Bill were expert bushmen, and indeed
so was Never Never Dave. He had often heard them speak of tracking up
clues of even the very flimsiest nature; might they not, after all, be
able to follow the slight impressions left by his footsteps on the sandy
gravel?... What a cruel irony of Fate to plunge him headlong into what
he most desired to find--water. Had he been caught in a sand-hole he
would not have felt so much aggrieved; but water, of all things! While
thinking in this strain, he remembered that, though he had been
extremely thirsty all day, he had not yet tasted of his find. But his
thirst had effectually gone from him, and he abhorred the slimy touch of
the fluid which encircled his limbs. Suddenly he felt some huge creature
brush against his knee, and then climb up against him with many a
wriggle and splutter. What new horror was this? Bob was anything but
timid in temperament, yet he shivered at the sinuous contact of this
unknown thing, and endeavoured frantically to shake it off, but it only
clung the tighter.
Some little time now elapsed, to Bob it seemed like half an hour, for
the moments dragged like ages, though five minutes would have been a
nearer estimate. Then a subdued muttering was heard above, and he
expected every instant to see more hideous faces grinning at him through
the bushy covering. He guessed that the whole tribe had now arrived to
witness his plight; and he was not far wrong, for nearly all the
warriors whose powers of locomotion had not been interfered with earlier
in the day had assembled overhead. The weary sojourner in the depths
kept his gaze fixed on the roof of the shaft where one or two gleams of
light filtered through the last unevenly laid scrub; his eyes had by
this time grown accustomed to the gloom of his environment, and while he
watched he carefully cocked his revolver, and adjusted it to fire on the
hair trigger, so that his aim might not be disturbed at a critical
juncture. Soon a gaunt black hand drew aside the branches; Bob's haste
was his own undoing. Had he waited long enough the oily-skinned savage
might have let in the light more fully, but as it was he fired, and a
howl of pain told him he had not fired in vain; but the brushwood fell
back into position, and his prison was left as dark as ever. He now made
an effort to climb up the walls of the dank and evil-smelling pit in
which he was immured; but the flinty formations exposed were dripping
with moisture, and slippery, and offered no place for foothold. Bob
would have given much then for a match, there were a few in the pockets
of his nether garments, but they were well submerged beneath the level
of the water, and consequently useless. The floundering animal that had
climbed against his legs next aroused his curiosity; he could not
imagine what sort of creature it might be, and his courage was not
sufficient to prompt his making a practical investigation as to its form
or temper with his hand, which, as it afterwards turned out, was just as
well for the hand. Another lull ensued, and he began to be alarmed at
the silence of his dusky gaolers. Were they premeditating some sudden
and novel doom for himself, or had they indeed abandoned him to die in
this horrible water-trap? And where were his companions all the time? To
relieve the monotony he fired two more shots upwards at random and was
rejoiced to hear another yell of pain from outside, but a retaliation in
the shape of a fusillade of stones came crashing down, missing him by a
few inches only. Again he fired, and again. Bob had grown desperate, he
did not much care what form the reply of the natives would take, but now
he heard an answering shot in the distance, while near at hand the
Shadow's well-known voice hilloed out lustily. There now appeared to be
considerable agitation among the blacks above; their feet pattered on
the sand confusedly, and then a shrill yell intimated to Bob clearly
enough that his tormentors had taken flight.
He was about to congratulate himself heartily on escaping so
opportunely from a distinctly awkward predicament, when he heard the
sand crunch under hurrying footsteps, and the Shadow, now close above,
commenced to shout his name. He was evidently bent on following the
retreating natives, for he halted not a moment, but kept up his mad rush
forward. Before the horrified prisoner below could raise an alarm, he
had jumped impetuously into the snare which had already done its work so
well, and a moment later he tumbled down heavily head over heels by
Bob's side. The spray he threw up almost blinded Bob, and the fetid
odours that were thus again let loose, caused him to gasp wildly. His
comrade in misfortune struggled to his feet with eloquent maledictions,
and his amazement when he recognized Bob--the light was now streaming
down through the gap he had made--was very genuine indeed.
"What in thunder is you doing here?" he cried.
Bob considered the question rather superfluous under the circumstances.
"Me? Oh, I'm fishing!" he replied laconically.
The Shadow ceased his flow of language for a moment, and examined the
walls of his gloomy habitation with interest. It did not take him long
to grasp the situation.
"Hang it, that was a tidy trick to play on a peaceable sort o' cuss like
me. They've bagged the pair of us, an' if we'd had the savvy o' a
mosquito, we didn't oughter be here," he snorted in extreme disgust.
"It is a bit humiliating," admitted Bob, not at all displeased that the
wonderfully acute Shadow had blundered into the trap as easily as
himself. It tended to soothe his wounded feelings in no little degree.
"But all the same," he added brightly, "we've found water, and that's
worth some inconvenience, isn't it?"
The Shadow grunted something unintelligible and began to prospect in the
almost viscous fluid with both hands.
"There's some slimy crawler shoved up against me," he growled, "an' I
reckon I'm goin' to break his little back, so that he won't have no
appetite to feed on us afterwards." He groped around viciously.
"I have had a good half hour of its company, whatever it is," remarked
Bob. "But the splash you made frightened him off for a bit. But hold
hard! Shadow, hold hard, man! Don't you see what it is?"
Bob's eyes, more accustomed to the dull environment than his
companion's, had now detected an unusually large-sized iguana struggling
in the water; it had apparently fallen in from above, as they had done,
and its snapping jaws looked decidedly dangerous. The Shadow ceased his
investigations with remarkable celerity, then lifted up his voice in
fluent condemnation of all sorts and conditions of crawling creatures.
When he had exhausted his store of expletives, he made a vain effort to
climb the oozy walls of the cavern, and succeeded only in getting a
fresh douche for his pains.
"I wonder who'll come first," he murmured feebly, "Mackay or them
savages? I reckon we shid know pretty sudden."
They were not left much longer in doubt. The report of Mackay's powerful
rifle broke the silence, they recognized it by the heavy charge of
powder it fired and the series of shrill yells which answered it showed
that the natives were still in the vicinity. Anon the anxious pair
heard the scrub break before the advance of some hurrying person, and
the crunch, crunch of feet in the sand.
"Go back and mind the camels, Jack," they heard Mackay's decisive voice
ring out. "I'll find Bob, if he's above ground, an' that reckless young
rascal o' a Shadow too."
"But we ain't above ground!" roared the last-named youth, forgetting
that his voice would be absorbed in the echoes of the shaft before it
reached the surface. On came the stalwart bushman, and the fierce
invective against the blacks in general, and these savages in
particular, which issued from his lips as he ran, came as a revelation
to Bob, who had never heard his friend so moved.
In a few moments he had reached the vicinity of the pit wherein the
adventurous pair were entombed, and Bob made ready to signal once more
with his revolver, but such action was unnecessary. The experienced eye
of Mackay had quickly noticed the cut brushwood, and he bore down
towards it without hesitation. Then, thrusting his head through the
opening in the bushy covering, he surveyed the captives below with a
grim smile of amusement. "So this is where you are, my lads," said he.
His relief was so evident that Bob and the Shadow felt even more ashamed
because of the trouble they had caused than there was any need for. Then
Bob found his speech.
"There's water here," he cried.
"Water!" Mackay's ruddy features positively glowed with pleasure. "Well,
well, I shouldna wonder but what you've taken the only means o' finding
it, an' though it was a novel sort o' method, an' just a trifle
dangerous, we canna be too thankful that it has succeeded. Now, you'll
hae to content yoursel's a bit longer while I see aboot gettin' a rope
to pu' ye up----"
"Don't go away, boss!" howled the Shadow. "Them yelpin' baboons'll be
back in two shakes if ye does." But Mackay had no intention of going
away; he proceeded to signal with his rifle, and soon the entire camp,
camels and all, arrived in answer to his call. Great was the hilarity of
Jack and the two bushmen when they learned of the strange position in
which Bob and the Shadow had been found; but their joy was real indeed
that water had been discovered, after all, and when they raised their
dripping comrades to the surface they embarrassed them more by their
expressions of gratitude than by their display of what under the
circumstances would surely have been but a pardonable levity.
Now came the tedious process of drawing water for the camels to drink,
and also for refilling the almost dry canvas bags which Remorse carried.
For the latter purpose the thick sand-impregnated fluid was laboriously
filtered through a sheet of calico, so that a fair amount of its solid
matter was eliminated. But it was not the sediment that was the most
objectionable feature of the liquid; it simply stank with vile odours,
so that Emu Bill and Never Never Dave, who had undertaken the duty of
hauling up the buckets, had anything but a pleasant time while they were
so engaged. The boys marvelled at the extraordinary capacity of the
camels for the uninviting solution; between them they managed to absorb
well over a hundred gallons, and when at length they were satisfied,
very little save mud remained at the bottom of the shaft.
"I would never have believed these natives capable of such a smart
trick as that they played on me," said Bob, who had been unusually
silent since his rescue. "Imagine the forethought of the beggars in
covering up that confounded hole, and then luring me directly on to it!"
"They're no' so deficient in gumption as you at first considered, Bob,
my lad," answered Mackay, with a twinkle in his eye. "However, I don't
think they covered up the shaft exactly for your benefit. Just look----"
He kicked a few of the branches aside and drew Bob's attention to their
wholly sapless nature. "These same bits o' twigs have done duty for many
a long day. The natives cover the water principally to prevent
evaporation as much as possible, but also to keep all sorts o' animals
an' reptiles from fallin' into it an' so spoilin' the flavour. The water
has vera likely lain in that rock-hole for years, an' only such
judicious economy on their part has left us enough for our needs."
"I reckon they'll have to shift their lodgings pretty soon," laughed the
Shadow, "for they'll have a pretty hard job gettin' a drink when we
leave, an' the next man that does a dive into the reservoir as Bob an'
me did, shid strike something hard at the bottom."
The afternoon was already far advanced, but when Never Never Dave
suggested that they should camp where they were until morning, Mackay
would not hear of such a proceeding.
"We'll find trouble soon enough without lookin' for it, Dave," said he,
"an' if there's one thing I dislike it's camping near a crowd o' niggers
in the night time. They would try to swipe us out before morning, for
the miserable vermin get vera brave after sundown. No, boys, we'll head
out right now for Fortunate Spring. Fetch out the compass, Jack, an' let
me have a look at that course again. The sun has shifted a bit since I
worked out the correct shadow to steer by."
Immediately afterwards Misery's bell began to chime, and the camel team
moved on its weary way.