The party were seated in their shelter close under the highest wall of
the ancient ruins, well screened from the ardent rays of the tropic sun,
which had not yet risen sufficiently high to interfere with their
comfort, and for about the third time the boys were giving their account
of the previous evening's adventure, with nothing more visible to show
than a few scratches from the stones and the traces of pricks from the
many thorns, when the doctor said, as if he were delivering a lecture,
and frowning severely the while, "Care, care, care. If ever our eyes
should be called upon to carefully discriminate where we are going,
there never can be such need for discrimination as here."
"You are right, doctor," said Sir James. "You must be careful, boys;
eh, doctor?"
"Yes," said the latter. "You see, we have done nothing yet to clear
away the tangle of growth that covers the stones and the remains of old
buildings. I fully believe that this place is honey-combed with
passages and cell-like remains, and that there may be dozens of old
wells and other reservoirs of water. There is the little river yonder,
of course, but if, as I fully believe, this place for miles round was
all roughly and strongly fortified, it seems quite probable that the
inhabitants, who were gold-seekers, were in the course of generations
besieged by the many enemies who coveted their wealth and resented the
coming of strangers to settle in their land. If this were the case, in
this heated district water would have been most valuable, and the
approaches to the river were doubtless guarded by the enemy. Thinking
of all this, one sees good reason for the existence of such a well-like
place as you encountered yesterday."
"Yes," said Sir James, "and I quite agree with you, doctor, that if we
could find them where they are buried by the old buildings that have
crumbled in, and overgrown by bushes and creepers, there are scores of
such places."
"Well," said the doctor, "one would be sufficient for our supply of
water, but we must, if possible, find out as many as we can for our own
safety."
"So as not to fall down any of them?" said Mark. "Dean and I don't want
another such adventure as we had last night."
"No," said his father; "it might be very serious. Let it be a lesson to
you, boys."
"It was, father," said Mark, and he gave his cousin a meaning look,
which was returned, the latter saying to himself, "It takes some of the
conceit out of you, old fellow."
The conversation then turned upon the disappearance of the two blacks,
and Dunn's ominous words as to the possibility of their non-return.
"I hope he is not right," said the doctor, shaking his head, "but I am
afraid he is. From your description, boys, it is quite evident that the
one made the other fully understand about the missing rifle."
"Oh, but I don't want to think, sir, that those two poor fellows are
going to get themselves killed in trying to bring it back."
"Neither do I, my boy," said Sir James, "and pretty well surrounded as
we are by these people, it is rather a lesson to us, for the doctor and
I have been talking about it that we can't afford to lose two such
useful guides and friends."
"Oh, we shan't lose them, uncle," said Dean cheerily. "They will come
trotting in some day--I mean Pig will, so as to keep up with Mak's long
strides."
"Well, I hope so," said Sir James, "and I hope too that the little feud
between us and our visitors will come to an end. What do you think,
doctor?"
"I cannot commit myself, sir, to giving any judgment upon the matter,
but I hope that our display of firmness, and the possession of weapons
that we know how to use, may keep them at a distance."
"I hope so," said Sir James, "but there will be no relaxing of our
watchfulness, and it will be very hard upon us after a hard day's work
over our researches, this taking it in turns to guard against visitors
in search of what they can annex."
"Nocturnal burglars," said Dean.
"Oh, we shall get used to it, father. But what are we going to do
to-day?"
"Ask the doctor," said Sir James. "I give myself up entirely to his
guidance. Someone will have to stay in camp, of course, on guard, and
ready to fire or whistle and give notice of the approach of any of the
blacks. What do you propose, doctor?"
"Taking two men with us to cut and slash away the growth at the first
place that we think worthy of investigation; and the sooner we are off
the better, before the sun gets too much power."
"There's plenty of shade," said Mark.
"Yes, my boy, but the trees and these towering walls cut off what breeze
there is, and I am afraid that we shall find the heat sometimes too
great to bear."
But in the excitement and labour of the next few days the heat was
forgotten, and the interest of the discovery amongst the old ruins was
quite sufficient to keep all on the _qui vive_ for any fresh object upon
which they might stumble.
They had talked about the two blacks, of whom they had seen nothing
since they had plunged in amongst the ruins of what seemed to have been
the huge fortified temple, and in spite of the two lads devoting a good
deal of time to discovering some opening through the old walls by which
they might have reached the open country, their efforts were quite
without success. It was certainly possible that they might have helped
one another to reach the top of the lowest stretch of wall, and lowered
one another down the other side, but Mark argued that they would not
have done this. There must be some secret opening or slit through which
they could have squeezed, one well known to them.
"I feel that if we keep on searching," he said, "we shall find it sooner
or later."
This was said in the hearing of Buck Denham, who suddenly exclaimed,
"But look here, gentlemen; you don't think, do you--" He stopped short,
and the boys waited for nearly a minute, before Mark burst out with,
"Yes, we do, Buck--lots."
"Yes, I suppose so, sir," said the man, rather sulkily.
"Well, go on. What were you going to say?"
"Only that Mr Dean here slipped down that hole."
"Well, we know that," said Dean shortly. "You needn't bring that up."
"No," cried Mark. "Why did you?"
"Didn't mean any harm, sir. I was only going to say that if you two
gents met with an accident like that, mightn't them two niggers have had
one too?"
"Ay, ay, messmate," growled Dan, "and being blacks not have the pluck
and patience of our two young gentlemen here as helped theirselves and
got out."
"Pluck and patience!" thought Mark, as he stole a glance at his cousin.
"Patience and pluck!" said Dean to himself, as he met his cousin's eye.
"Why, Buck," cried Mark, "you have regularly spoilt my day."
"Me, sir?" said the big fellow wonderingly. "Not spoilt yourn too, Mr
Dean?"
"Yes, you have," said the lad addressed. "You have set me thinking that
the poor fellows have tumbled down somewhere and been drowned, or else
are regularly trapped in some deep cellar-like passage underground,
where they have lost their way."
"Well, that means, gentlemen, that what we ought to do is to go for a
big hunt in and out amongst the ruins till we find them, or something
else."
"Yes," said Dan, "something else; and that would be like killing two
birds with one stone."
"Come on, then," cried Mark, "only this time we will take two ropes and
a lantern, and we will go at once. Look here, Dean, we will start from
where we saw them disappear amongst the bushes. Shall we take our
guns?"
"I would, gentlemen," said Buck. "You see, you never know what you are
coming against."
"No; but they are a bother to carry."
"Oh, we will carry them, sir--sling 'em."
"There, we needn't all go. Run and fetch what we want, you two, and we
had better take a canteen or two of water and something to eat, in case
we lose ourselves. But no, we had better all go together, Dean, and rig
up, or we shall be sure to find we have left something behind that we
ought to have taken."
"Especially matches," said Dean.
They were about half way to the opening in front of their shed, known
generally as the camp, when Dean suddenly uttered an ejaculation.
"What is it?" cried his cousin.
"The blacks."
"Ah! Where are father and the doctor?" cried Mark excitedly. "And we
are wandering about here without arms."
"I did not mean the savage blacks," cried Dean.
"Why, you don't mean--"
"Yes, I do. Hooray! There they are, along with Dunn and the ponies--an
old croaker, to make believe that they might never come back!"
Just then Dunn pointed in their direction, and the two blacks turned and
caught sight of them, to begin marching slowly forward, Mak shouldering
his spear and stepping out with quite a military stride, while the pigmy
strutted along with an assumption of braggart conceit that was amusing
in the extreme.
"Well," cried Mark, as they met, "what luck? You haven't found the
rifle?"
"Yes. Find 'em."
"Where?"
"Stolen. Nigger."
"But where was it?" cried the boys together.
Mak pointed to the pigmy, who nodded and laughed, and by degrees the
little party managed to elicit from their two scouts that ever since
they started they had been in hiding near the ruins, waiting and
watching in the belief that sooner or later whoever had stolen the rifle
would come again for further plunder.
"But you have been away for days," said Dean. "Have you been hunting
too, so as to get something to eat?"
This was rather a long speech for Mak, to whom it was addressed, to
fully comprehend, but when it had been repeated to him simplified as far
as possible by Mark and the two men, the black nodded cheerfully and
explained that he had waited every night till they were quite fast
asleep, and then the pigmy had crept up like a dog or a baboon to help
himself to what they wanted, and then stolen away again to watch.
"But he couldn't have done that," cried Mark; "certainly not when I was
on guard. It must have been your turn, Dean, and you went to sleep."
"That I declare I didn't!" cried the accused, and the two boys now gazed
severely at their men, who looked at one another, as if feeling guilty,
"I swear I didn't, messmate. I couldn't have slept for thinking that
some of the niggers would come stealing, and steal my life," grunted
Dan.
"Same here," growled Buck.
A rough cross-examination ensued--a very hard one too, for Mak nodded
his replies to fit his misunderstanding; but at last the investigators
felt convinced that they were only listening to the truth, and that,
thanks to his size, activity, and possible resemblance to some animal,
the pigmy had had no difficulty about stealing into the camp for
supplies.
"That's right enough, gentlemen. I believe the little beggar could
tickle you on one side and make you turn over, thinking it was a fly,
while he helped hisself on the other and went off again like a monkey."
During the latter part of the examination Mark's father and the doctor
joined them, full of satisfaction that their forebodings were false, and
glad to welcome the friendly blacks again. They too learned that Mak
and the pigmy had kept up their watch till the last night, when they had
come upon two of the Illakas stealing into the camp. But one of them
got away, and the manner of his escape was explained in pantomime by
Mak, who made his little companion show how it occurred; and this, it
seemed, was by his being pursued right up to the top of one of the
further walls and then right along it in the darkness till he could get
no further and had to jump, the Pig making it all clear as daylight, to
use Buck's words, for he took them to the place, and while they stood
below watching, the little fellow mounted to the top, then ran right
along and dived right off.
"Good heavens!" cried the doctor. "The poor fellow must be killed!"
"Yes," said Mark's father, and he involuntarily took out his
handkerchief to wipe his moist hands.
"Here, quick!" said the doctor. "He must be lying somewhere below
there;" and he made for the imagined spot close by, followed by the
rest, evidently to Mak's delight, for he began to grin hugely and raised
up suspicion in the boys that their sympathy was being wasted, for all
at once Pig hopped back on to the top of the wall, baboon fashion, to
perch there like one of the hideous little beasts, none the worse for
his leap down into the tree top that he had selected.
"Confound the fellow!" muttered the doctor. "He gave me quite a scare!
But look here. You, Dunn, I don't understand. Make them tell us what
became of the other."
Dunn turned to Mak and spoke a word or two to him in his own language,
when the black stared at him stolidly and then turned away.
"What does that mean?" said Mark. "Wouldn't he tell you?"
"No," replied Dunn sadly; and he gave the boy a very meaning look.
"Why, you don't mean to say--that--"
"Yes; don't bother him, or he may go off. Afraid. The boss mightn't
like it."
"Not like it?"
"No. Saw him cleaning his spear."
Glances were exchanged, and the looks seemed in silent language to tell
the tragic story that either Mak or his little companion had speared and
afterwards buried the enemy they had overcome.
"I don't like this, doctor," said Sir James. "It's tragedy. What can
we do?"
"Nothing," said the doctor gravely.
"But these men--for I suppose we must call that little savage a man,
though he looks a child--"
"The big herculean black is no bigger in intellect. If they have killed
a brother savage I cannot feel that our consciences are to blame. The
men were here to rob, and if we had caught them in the act I honestly
believe that it might have cost us our lives."
"Probably," said Sir James; "but we must make them understand our utter
abhorrence of the deed, and threaten punishment for the act."
"No, Sir James. Remember the old saying, Example is better than
Precept. I feel sure that if we interfere with them with any stringency
of action they will forsake us at once."
"Well, boys," said Sir James, "I would rather give up the expedition at
once and make our way back, than have such horrors as this occurring.
Here, what does this mean?" he continued, for Mak came forward with his
little companion, both looking joyous and jubilant, Mak talking away and
putting in a word of English now and then--words which constituted
"come", "show," and "gun."
"Oh, that's plain enough, father," cried Mark. "They have got the gun."
The little party followed the two blacks at once, and to their great
surprise they were led into the temple square and across it till they
were near to the big wall. Then both the doctor and Sir James stopped
short.
"This is too horrible," said Sir James angrily. "Come back, boys. They
want to show us where they buried that unfortunate prowler."
"I am glad of that," whispered Dean. "What horrible wretches these
blacks are!"
"Ugh! Yes," whispered back Mark, with a shudder. "Come along. I shall
begin to hate myself for having been so friendly with them."
The two blacks stood looking at one another in amazement, as they saw
the others moving away. But directly after Mak literally bounded before
them and began waving his hands as if trying to drive back a flock of
sheep.
"No go away!" he shouted. "No go. Gun! Gun! Gun!" And he pointed to
the loose heap of sand and stones that had been piled over the old
burial place.
"What's that?" said the doctor. "Gun?"
"Gun! Gun! Gun!" shouted Mak excitedly, and the little pigmy bounded
on before them to the heap and began signing to them, pointing down the
while.
"Doctor! Uncle!" cried Dean. "I believe they mean that the gun is
buried there."
"Gun! Gun! Gun!" cried Mak, and he bounded after his little companion,
to take his place on the other side of the heap, and began to imitate
his gestures, looking at the boys now, and shouting, "Gun! Gun! Gun!"
"Oh, do be quiet!" cried Mark angrily.
Then in a questioning tone he looked at the blacks, pointed to the heap,
and repeated the word. Both began to dance now with delight, pointing
down and making signs as if scraping a hole in the heap before them.
"Well," said Dean, "if the gun's there don't keep on dancing like a pair
of black marionettes. Dig it out;" and he imitated the blacks' signs of
scraping away the loose rubble.
Mak nodded his head eagerly, and shrank back, a movement imitated by
Pig.
"No, no," said Mark; "don't go. Dig it out."
The black looked at him enquiringly.
"Dig?" he said.
"Yes; both of you dig it out," cried Dean.
To the great surprise of the boys the two blacks dashed at them, caught
them by the wrist, drew them close up to the heap, and tried to bend
them down so that they might draw away the loose rubbish.
"Oh, no, you don't," said Mark merrily, snatching away his wrist. "I am
not going to have my hand used as a trowel to save yours, you lazy
beggar. Here, Dean, get hold of Pig and do as I do. Let's give them an
object lesson."
The little fellow smiled with pleasure as Dean caught him by the wrist,
and then the two boys, to use Mark's expressions, proceeded to use the
black palms and digits as trowels; but the smiles of both blacks changed
to angry frowns. They snatched their hands away and backed off from the
heap, Mak shaking his head fiercely.
"Well, that's cool," said Mark. "Here, come back;" and he pointed to
the heap and stamped his foot. "We are not going to do the dirty work
and let you keep your hands clean, my fine fellows. Come--dig out--
gun!"
Mak shook his head angrily and imitated Mark's action of stamping his
foot and pointing to the heap.
"Dig--out--gun," he said, imitated the while by the pigmy, who repeated
the words "Dig--dig" to Dean.
"No--no--you two!" cried Mark.
"No--no--you two!" cried Mak; and he pointed again at the heap, running
close up to it and pointing to where some parched up fern leaves had
been scattered about.
He only stayed there a moment, and then darted away, to stand with his
little companion, shaking his head and chattering away as he
energetically kept on signing to the boys to act, and shouting.
"Gun! Gun!"
"All right, gentlemen; never mind," said Buck good-humouredly. "These
niggers are mighty particular about doing just what work they like and
no more. Me and my mate will soon fish the gun out if it's there. They
seem to think that as they have found the place where it's buried their
job's done."
"No," said Dunn dismally.
"What do you know about it?" growled Buck.
"Been here five years," said the man sadly, quite in a tone which seemed
to suggest that he wished he had never seen the place. "Won't go
because they know people have been buried there. It's where you dug out
the bones."
"Ah!" said the doctor. "Yes, that must be it. These people fear the
dead more than they do the living."
"Oh, that's it!" cried Mark. "Don't you remember how they wouldn't go
near after we had found the bones?"
"No, no, Buck--Dunn; we'll do it, and show them how cowardly they are."
The two men drew back, and while the blacks shifted a little further
away and close together watched, with their faces drawn with horror, the
boys bent down and tore away the dead fronds of the fern.
"Here, it's all right," cried Dean. "Hooray, Mark! Here's your gun.
Why, they've only buried the stock and half the barrels."
For there, lightly covered with stones and sand, were the barrels of the
missing gun, fully six inches quite exposed.
"Here, let me come," cried Mark.
"No; first find," cried Dean, seizing the rifle by the barrels and
giving it a jerk which drew it right out, and then uttering a yell of
horror he dropped it, for as he tugged a tiny snake thrust its head out
of one of the barrels and opened its jaws menacingly, then closed them,
and the sun shone upon its flickering forked tongue, which darted out
again and again through the natural opening in the closed jaws.
"Ah! Take care!" cried Sir James; and the two blacks turned as if moved
by the same impulse and scrambled to the nearest pile of stones, to
stand there holding on to one another, their superstition strengthened
by what they believed to be instant punishment being brought down upon
the heads of those who had dared to disturb the resting-place of the
dead.
"Oh, I say, Dean!" cried Mark, as he picked up the double rifle, noting
as he raised it from the ground that the snake had shrunk back out of
sight into its novel refuge. "I'll soon settle him," he said. "Yes,
all right," he continued, as he raised the gun so that he could examine
the breech. "It's all right; it's loaded. I'll soon finish him;" and
raising the piece higher, holding it as if it were a pistol, he drew
trigger, and a volley of echoes followed the report, the two blacks
being already in full flight.
"Anybody see him go?" said Mark merrily, and as he spoke he let the
rifle slide through his hands till he grasped the muzzle, while the butt
rested between his feet. "New way of killing snakes," cried the boy;
and then with a look of horror, wild-eyed and strange, he held the
muzzle as far from him as he could, half stunned by realising the fact
that he had fired the wrong barrel, as he saw the little snake glide
rapidly out of the mouth of the second barrel, play for a moment or two
over his hands, and then drop in amongst the loose stones and disappear.
"Mark, my boy!" cried Sir James excitedly. "Don't say you are bitten!"
The boy drew a deep sigh, his face turning ghastly white the while, and
then, "I must, father. It was only a sharp prick, but--"