THE FIGHT AT THE OLD FORT
For the instant after the serpent appeared nobody spoke or moved.
The waving motion of the reptile was fascinating to the last
degree, as was also that beady stare from its glittering eyes.
The stare was fixed upon poor Tom, and having retreated but a few
feet, he now stood as though rooted to the spot. Slowly the form
of the snake was lowered, until only the end of its tail kept it
up on the tree branch. Then the head and neck began to swing back
and forth, in a straight line with Tom's face.
The horrible fascination held the poor, boy as by a spell, and he
could do nothing but look at those eyes, which seemed to bum
themselves upon his very brain. Closer and closer, and still
closer, they came to his face, until at last the reptile prepared
to strike.
Crack! It was Sam's pistol that spoke up, at just the right
instant, and those beady eyes were ruined forever, and the wounded
head twisted in every direction, while the body of the serpent,
dropping from the tree, lashed and dashed hither and thither in
its agony. Then the spell was broken, and Tom let out such a yell
of terror as had never before issued from his lips.
Crack! came a second shot from Sam's pistol. But the serpent was
moving around too rapidly for a good aim to be taken, and only the
tip of the tail was struck. Then, in a mad, blind fashion, the
snake coiled itself upon Aleck's foot, and began, with
lightning-like rapidity, to encircle the colored man's body.
"Help!" shrieked Aleck, trying to pull the snake off with his
hands. "Help! or Ise a dead man, shuah!"
"Catch him by the neck, Aleck!" ejaculated Tom, and brought out
his own pistol. Watching his chance, he pulled the trigger twice,
sending both bullets straight through the reptile's body. Then
Sam fired again, and the mangled head fell to the ground.
But dead or alive the body still encircled Aleck, and the
contraction threatened to cave in the colored man's ribs.
"Pull him off somehow!" he gasped. "Pull him off!"
Crack! went Tom's pistol once more, and now the snake had
evidently had enough of it, for it uncoiled slowly and fell to the
ground in a heap, where it slowly shifted from one spot to another
until life was extinct. But neither the boys nor the colored man
waited to see if it was really dead. Instead, they took to their
heels and kept on running until the locality was left a
considerable distance behind.
"That was a close shave," said Tom, as he dropped on the ground
and began to nurse his lame ankle once more. "Ugh! but that snake
was enough to give one the nightmare!"
"Don't say a word," groaned Aleck, who had actually turned pale.
"I vought shuah I was a goner, I did fo' a fac'! I don't want to
meet no mo' snakes!"
The two boys reloaded their pistols with all rapidity, and this
was scarcely accomplished when they heard Cujo calling to them.
Soon the native put in an appearance. When told of what had
happened he would not believe the tale until he had gone back to
look at the dead snake.
"You werry lucky," he said. "Him big wonder um snake didn't kill
all of yo'!"
Cujo had made an important discovery. He had located Captain
Villaire's party at the old fort, and said that several French
brigands were on guard, by the trail leading from the swamp and at
the cliff overlooking the river.
"I see white boy dare too," he added. "Same boy wot yo' give
money to in Boma."
"Dan Baxter!" ejaculated Sam. "Can it be possible that he is
mixed up in this affair?"
"I can't understand it at all," returned Tom. "But the question
is, now we have tracked the rascals, what is to be done next?"
After a long talk it was resolved to get as close to the old fort
as possible. Cujo said they need not hurry, for it would be best
to wait until nightfall before making any demonstration against
their enemies. The African was very angry to think that the other
natives had deserted the party, but this anger availed them
nothing.
Four o'clock in the afternoon found them on the edge of the swamp
and not far from the bank of the Congo. Beyond was the cliff,
overgrown in every part with rank vegetation, and the ever-present
vines, which hung down like so many ropes of green.
"If we want to get up the wall we won't want any scaling ladders,"
remarked Tom grimly. "Oh, if only we knew that Dick and Uncle
Randolph were safe!"
"I'm going to find out pretty soon," replied Sam. "I'll tell you
what I think. I think they are being held for ransom."
"I was thinking of that, too. But I didn't dream of such a thing
being done down here although, I know it is done further north in
Africa among the Moors and Algerians."
Cujo now went off on another scout and did not return until the
sun was setting. Again he was full of smiles.
"I can show you a way up de rocks," he said. "We can get to the
walls of um fort, as you call um, without being seen."
Soon night was upon them, for in the tropics there is rarely any
twilight. Tom now declared himself able to walk once more, and
they moved off silently, like so many shadows, beside the swamp
and then over a fallen palm to where a series of rocks, led up to
the cliff proper.
"Sh-ah!" came presently from Cujo. "Man ahead!"
They came to a halt, and through the gloom saw a solitary figure
sitting on a rock. The sentinel held a gun over his knees and was
smoking a cigarette.
"If he sees us he will give the alarm," whispered Tom. "Can't we
capture him without making a noise?"
"Dat's de talk," returned Aleck. "Cujo, let us dun try dat
trick."
Cujo nodded. "Urn boys stay here," he said. "Cujo fix dat
feller!"
And off he crawled through the wet grass, taking a circuitous
route which brought him up on the sentinel's left.
Presently the sentinel started to rise. As he did so Cujo leaped
from the grass and threw him to the earth. Then a long knife
flashed in the air. "No speak, or um diet" came softly; but, the
Frenchman realized that the African meant what he said.
"I will be silent!" he growled, in the language of the African.
"Don't--don't choke me."
Cujo let out a low whistle, which the others rightly guessed was a
signal for them to come up. Finding himself surrounded, the
Frenchman gave up his gun and other weapons without a struggle.
He could talk no English, so what followed had to be translated by
Cujo.
"Yes, de man an' boy are dare," explained Cujo, pointing to the
fort. "Da chained up, so dis rascal say. De captain ob de band
want heap money to let um go."
"Ask him how many of the band there are," asked Sam.
But at this question the Frenchman shook his head. Either he did
not know or would not tell.
After a consultation the rascal was made to march back to safer
ground. Then he was strapped to a tree and gagged. The straps
were not fastened very tightly, so that the man was sure to gain
his liberty sooner or later. "If we didn't come back and he was
too tight he might starve to death," said Tom.
"Not but wot he deserves to starve," said Aleck, with a scowl at
the crestfallen prisoner.
At the foot of the cliff all was as dark and silent as a tomb.
"We go slow now, or maybe take a big tumble," cautioned Cujo.
"Perhaps him better if me climb up first," and he began the
dangerous ascent of the cliff by means of the numerous vines
already mentioned.
He was halfway up when the others started after him, Sam first,
Tom next, and Aleck bringing up in the rear.
Slowly they arose until the surface of the stream was a score or
more of feet below them. Then came the sounds of footsteps from
above and suddenly a torch shone down into their upturned faces.
"Hullo, who's this?" came in English and the Rover boys recognized
Dan Baxter.
"Silence, on your life!" cried Tom.
"Tom Rover!" gasped the bully. "How came you--"
"Silence, Baxter! I have a pistol and you know I am a good shot.
Stand where you an and put both hands over your head."
"Will I stand? Not much!" yelled the bully, and flung his torch
straight at Tom. Then he turned and ran for the fort, giving the
alarm at the top of his lungs.
The torch struck Tom on the neck, and for the moment the youth was
in danger of losing his hold on the vines and tumbling to the
jagged rocks below. But then the torch slipped away, past Sam and
Aleck, and went hissing into the dark waters of the Congo.
By this time Cujo had reached the top of the cliff and was making
after Baxter. Both gained the end of the fort at the same time and
one mighty blow from Cujo's club laid Baxter senseless near the
doorway.
"Help! help!" The cry came in Dick's voice, and was plainly
heard by Sam and Tom. Then Captain Villaire appeared, and a rough
and tumble battle ensued, which the Rovers well remember to this
day.
But Tom was equal to the occasion, and after the first onslaught
he turned, as if summoning help from the cliff. "This way!" he
cried. "Tell the company to come up here and the other company
can surround the swamp!"
Several pistol shots rang out, and the boys saw a Frenchman go
down with a broken arm. Then Captain Villaire shouted: "We have
been betrayed--we must flee!" The cry came in French, and as if
by magic the brigands disappeared into the woods behind the old
fort; and victory was upon the side of our friends.