THE RESOLVE OF BUCK AND JIM.
We must now return to Buck and Jim, whom we left in great perplexity
at the village festival, wondering what had become of their young
leader.
At the moment that Jack was dragged into the bushes by the Buddhist
monk, who was not really a monk at all, but one of Saya Chone's
followers in disguise, and the dancing girl, who was Saya Chone
himself, Buck was within a dozen yards of them, looking all about for
Jack. But he saw nothing of his young master, because a group of
people, also in Saya Chone's pay, covered the movements by which Jack
was drugged and carried off by his enemies.
"Thunder and mud," growled Buck. "Where's Jack got to? I left him here
not five minutes ago, laughing over this picture."
At this moment Dent came up.
"Where's Jack?" said he quickly.
"I don't know, and that's the square-toed truth," replied Buck.
"P'raps he's rambled off in a different direction."
The two comrades began to move swiftly about in search of their young
leader. They kept together, for, with their knowledge of the country,
they felt uneasy at once, and were not willing to separate, lest each
might not find the other again. They found Me Dain, and set him to
hunt in every direction. They found the headman, and he seemed
bewildered at the idea that Jack had disappeared. He gave, or seemed
to give, them every assistance possible in their search, but within an
hour the two comrades were looking at each other very blankly. Jack
had gone. There was no sign of him from end to end of the village, but
how or where he had gone was a completely impenetrable mystery.
Buck and Jim and the Burman gathered in the hut which had been
assigned to them, and held a council of war.
"Say," muttered Buck uneasily, "this beats the band. What's come to
Jack?"
Jim Dent shook his head, and made no reply for a moment.
"Well, Buck," he said at last, "there's one thing quite certain; he
hasn't gone on his own account."
"Sure thing," replied Buck.
"And if he's been nabbed in some mysterious fashion or another, we're
pretty certain who's got hold of him," pursued Jim, and Buck nodded
with a blank face.
At the next instant Jim's suspicions were confirmed by the Burman.
"Well," grunted Me Dain, "U Saw got both now, for sure, both young
master and old master."
"What makes you think that, Me Dain?" cried Buck. "Have you seen or
heard anything?"
"Nothing, nothing," replied the Burman, waving his hand. "But what
else can be? They catch him and take him off. Oh yes, sure to be."
"After all, it would only be in line with plenty of things we've heard
of, Buck," remarked Jim Dent, and again Buck had to give a sorrowful
nod.
"Well," said Buck, in a decided voice, "s'pose we put it at that. In
some fashion or other he's been kidnapped by the people who kidnapped
his father. Let it go at that. Then, next thing is, what are we going
to do?"
"I'll bet I know what you're going to do, Buck, my son," said Jim
Dent, with a dry chuckle. "You'll follow on a bit and see what's
happened to father and son, or I'm making a big mistake."
"You're quite right, Jim," said Buck Risley. "I don't hold with
backin' down on a pardner, and I'm goin' along to see what's happened
to the Professor and Jack just as far as I can crawl."
"And I'm with you, old man," said Jim quietly. "I owe Jack my life,
too. One good turn deserves another."
"And me, sahibs, and me," said Me Dain quickly. "The young sahib save
my life also when the dacoit thought to chop off my head. I go with
you everywhere to help the two sahibs."
"Bully for you, Me Dain, you're a good sort," cried Buck, and he
thrust his hand out to the Burman. Me Dain, highly delighted to
receive the white man's sign of friendship, shook hands very solemnly
with both Buck and Jim, and they formed at once a confraternity of
three to hunt up U Saw's quarters, and see where he held the
prisoners, whom they now firmly believed to be in his grasp.