"Shiver my top-sails, but if I ain't in another cussed fix! Here,
Galbraith lad, lend a hand to help us out."
Looking down in surprise we discovered that we were on the very edge of
what in the darkness appeared a vast chasm, the depths of which we could
not penetrate. Instinctively I recoiled from my close proximity; but
the next moment drew near again, for it was from this pit that Jack
Thompson's voice had proceeded.
"Jack!" I called down; "is it deep? I can't see you; are you hurt, or
can you reach me your hand?"
"I have fallen on my wounded arm and the pain's awful," he responded;
then as if he had tried, he added, "no, I don't think you can reach me,
for it's precious deep. But can't you find some way to get me out of
this infernal place?"
"What shall we do?" I asked, turning to Mr Ferguson, "how ever are we
to help him?"
"The darkness may make him misjudge the depth," he replied. "Let us try
to reach the poor fellow."
Lying flat on the ground, therefore, I bade him, if possible, seize my
hand, but soon found he was unable to do so--being remarkably short of
stature, besides which his falling on his wounded arm had rendered him
faint and unfit for exertion.
"It is useless," said Mr Ferguson, after he also had tried. "One of us
must go to the bush, and get some baboon ropes."
I was on my feet in an instant, but the next moment's reflection made me
say--
"That plan would be useless, sir, for in this vast plain, even if I got
the ropes, how could I find you again in the darkness, and to call for
directions would undoubtedly bring the Kaffirs upon us."
"True; you ever have your wits about you, Galbraith, but what are we to
do?"
"Why the moon will be up in less than half an hour, and whatever the
danger, we must wait till then."
Having told Jack what we were compelled to do, and bidding him rest
assured we would not leave him, we took our places at the pit's mouth to
wait. We did not speak for we had no heart to. Even at the very
moment, the vast plain was perhaps peopled with beasts in search of
prey, which each instant they might find in our vicinity. The brave man
may face a danger, however terrible, without the quiver of a nerve when
he _does_ face it; but it would require the bravest, if indeed, the one
ever did exist, who could sit calmly in the midst of a strange country,
which he knows to be inhabited by Kaffirs, lions and tigers, and feels
that any moment the spear of the one, or the fangs of the other might be
quivering in his flesh, without his being able to raise a hand in
self-defence. I own, for my part it was a time of terror, and my blood
even now runs chill in my veins when I recall the sensations I then
experienced.