"Hassan," whispered my companion to the Arab; "go over to the prisoners
there, and if they cry out again shoot them. I don't think that first
cry has been heard by the others." As he spoke Denviers thrust a pistol
into Hassan's hand and motioned to him to move through the grass towards
them. We watched our guide as he neared them and raised the pistol
threateningly--a silent admonition which they understood, and became
quiet accordingly.
From our position in the shadow of the ruined palace wall we saw a
number of the hunted tribe slowly wind over the bridge with their
captive, and noticed that in addition they had plenty of plunder with
them. Noiselessly they moved towards our tent, and completely surrounded
it, only to find it empty. They were evidently at a loss what to do,
when one of their number stumbled over the dead mountaineer whom I had
shot down as he joined in the attack upon us. A fierce exclamation
quickly caused the rest to gather about him, and for some minutes they
held a brief consultation. We judged from their subsequent actions that
they considered we had made good our escape from the plain, for they
made no further search for us, but apparently determined to avenge their
comrade's death by slaying their captive. While the rest of the band
moved away over the plain, two of their number returned towards the
limestone bridge spanning the river. Guessing their fell purpose,
Denviers and I crept through the tall grass, and under cover of the
trees by the bank moved cautiously towards them.
From tree to tree we advanced with our rifles in our hands, then just
when within twenty yards of them we stopped aghast at the movements of
the two mountaineers, who were forcing their struggling captive slowly
towards the edge of the jagged limestone bridge!
We looked down at the angry waters of the rapid, swirling twenty feet
below in the deep bed of the river, which was slowly rising each day,
for the time of its inundation was near at hand. For a moment I saw a
woman's horror-stricken face in the moonlight and heard her agonizing
cry, then the sharp crack of Denviers' rifle rang out, and one of her
assailants relaxed his grasp. Before Denviers could take a shot at the
second mountaineer, he seized the captive woman and deliberately thrust
her over the rocky bridge!
"Quick! To the river!" exclaimed Denviers, as we heard the sound of her
body striking the waters below. Down the steep bank we scrambled,
steadying ourselves by grasping the lithe and dwarfed trees which grew
in its rocky crevices. For one brief moment we scanned the seething
torrent, and then, right in its midst, we saw the face and floating hair
of the woman as she was tossed to and fro in the rapid, while she vainly
tried to cling to the huge boulders rising high in the stream through
which her fragile form was hurried.
"Jump into the boat and wait for me to be carried down to you!" cried
Denviers, and before I fully realized what he was about to do, he flung
his rifle down and plunged headlong into the foaming waters. I saw him
battling against the fierce current with all his might, for the rocks in
mid-stream prevented the woman from being floated down to us and
threatened to beat out her life, as she was borne violently against
them. I ran madly towards where our boat had been drawn up, and pushing
it into the river strained my eyes eagerly in the wild hope of seeing
Denviers alive when his body should be floated down towards me.
[Illustration: "OVER THE ROCKY BRIDGE."]
I pulled hard against the stream and managed to keep the rude craft from
being carried away with the current. A few minutes afterwards I saw that
my companion had succeeded in dragging the woman from the grinding
channels between the rocks, and was being swept on to where I anxiously
awaited him with his burden. The water dashed violently against the boat
as I put it across the middle of the rushing stream, then dropped the
oars as he was flung towards me. I stretched out my arms over the side
in order to relieve him of his burden, and, although he was exhausted,
Denviers made one last effort and thrust the woman towards me. I dragged
her into the boat just as her rescuer sank back. With a quick but steady
grip I caught my companion and hauled him in too, and before long had
the happiness to see both become conscious once more.
Leaving the boat to float down the stream, I merely steered it clear of
the rocky sides of the river channel, then, seeing some distance ahead a
favourable place to land, drew in to the shore with a few swift strokes
from the oars. Denviers remained with the woman he had rescued, while I
climbed the steep bank again and found that the mountaineers had,
fortunately, not returned, although we had fully expected the report of
Denviers' rifle to cause them to do so. I thereupon signalled to my
companion below that all was safe, and he toiled up to the plain
supporting the woman, who was a Laos, judging from her garments and
slight, graceful form.
Spreading for her a couch of skins, we left her reclining wearily in the
tent, to which Denviers conducted her, then hastened towards Hassan,
whom we found still keeping guard over our two captives. The Arab, when
he heard of the hazardous venture which Denviers had made, stoutly urged
us to put our prisoners to death, as a warning to the hunted tribe that
their misdeeds could not always be carried on with impunity. For reply
Denviers quietly took the pistol from the Arab's hand, and then we
returned towards the tent, outside which we rested till day dawned.
The woman within the tent then arose and came towards us, thanking
Denviers profusely for saving her from such a death as had confronted
her. She told us that her betrothal to a neighbouring prince had taken
place only a few days before, but although every precaution had been
taken to keep the affair secret, the news was conveyed to the hunted
tribe by some one of the many supporters of the mountaineers. As she was
a woman of high rank, this seemed to them a suitable opportunity to
strike further terror into the hearts of the people inhabiting the
cities about the Meinam. Their plans had been thoroughly successful, for
they had despoiled several of the richest citizens, slaying those who
opposed them, then snatching the woman up, began to carry her off to
live among their tribeswomen, and to become one of them, when we
fortunately saved her from that fate. We promised to conduct her to the
city whence she had been stolen, which we eventually did, but before
setting out for that purpose we visited our prisoners again.
"Hassan," said Denviers, "release the men from the trees." The Arab most
reluctantly did so, stoutly maintaining that after Mahomet had helped us
so strangely and successfully, we would be wiser either to shoot them or
leave them bound till someone discovered and dealt with our prisoners as
they deserved.
The ropes were accordingly unbound which fastened them to the trees;
then Denviers pointed to the distant range of the Three Hundred Peaks
and bade them begone. The two prisoners set forward at a run, being not
a little surprised at our clemency. When they had at last disappeared in
the distance, we moved towards the city beyond Ayuthia to restore the
princess to her people, who had, by our means, been snatched from the
power of the hunted tribe.