A WONDERFUL ESCAPE.
Guy had presence of mind enough to strike a second match and ignite the
torch, which was fortunately within reach of his hand, and as his
companions, roused from their sleep by his sharp cry of alarm, sprang
excitedly to their feet, the flaming glare revealed to their astonished
gaze a monstrous serpent coiled half on land, half in the water, at the
edge of the island.
The flat, ugly head, with its wicked eyes, was darting angrily to and
fro, and the body was as thick as a man's leg above the knee.
"Great Caesar, it's a sea-serpent!" cried Forbes, making a dash for his
rifle, while Sir Arthur, with a dismal groan, dropped down on his knees
and had to be dragged forcibly away by the colonel.
The glare of the torch seemed to anger the monster, for it advanced a
yard or more up the island, and spattered the water furiously with its
great tail.
A general rush was made for the canoes, and it would have been no
difficult matter to have slipped quickly away and left the hideous
monster in undisputed possession of the island.
Unluckily Forbes was bent on resistance. He seized his rifle, made sure
that it was ready for use, and started forward just as Guy hurried to
his assistance.
"Come away, Melton," he cried; "it will only make things worse if you
wound it."
"But I don't intend to wound it," replied Melton. "I'm going to put a
ball through that ugly head. Stand back, Chutney; stand back."
As he spoke he advanced recklessly until the muzzle of his rifle was
within two feet of the serpent's head, and, taking a quick aim, pulled
the trigger.
The stunning report shook the cavern; then, as Forbes turned to flee,
the enraged monster, with blood streaming from a hole in his neck, threw
his slimy coils forward in convulsions of agony, and, before the eyes of
his horrified companions, Melton was pinned to the ground.
He struggled to his knees, fighting desperately to loosen the tightening
coils, and uttering heartrending appeals for help.
Then, with a mighty hiss, the serpent flapped wildly toward the water,
dragging his victim with him, and with a terrific splash and a
resounding slap of the great tail on the moist sand, both disappeared in
the gloom.
With a terrible cry Guy ran to the water's edge and shouted again and
again.
No response came back. The black river flowed as smoothly and calmly as
before.
"Lost! Lost!" he cried hoarsely, and staggering backward he fell heavily
on the sand.
The colonel ran to his assistance, and at that moment a single cry came
distinctly from a point below the island.
"Listen!" exclaimed Canaris. "What is that?"
"Help! Help!" rang mournfully through the recesses of the cavern.
It was Melton's voice surely, and the familiar tones reached Guy's ears
and brought him to his feet in an instant.
"It's Forbes!" he shouted wildly. "The canoe, quick," and snatching the
heavy craft, he fairly threw it into the river and sprang in.
Canaris leaped after him, and seizing paddles they drove the canoe
swiftly toward the distant sound.
"We are coming, Melton; we are coming," cried Guy. "We'll save you yet."
In their haste the lighted torch had been left behind, but fortunately
the Greek had matches, and in an instant another torch was lit and
flaring cheerfully over the water.
"This way, Chutney," came a feeble voice below them. "Hurry up. I'm
nearly exhausted."
A few rapid strokes of the paddle brought them within sight of a
struggling object on the surface of the water, and as the canoe ran
skilfully alongside, Guy dropped his paddle, and, leaning out, seized
the drowning man by the collar. With almost superhuman strength he
dragged him into the canoe without assistance.
"Thank God!" he cried, "he's safe. Speak to me, Forbes. Are you hurt?"
But Melton lay white and helpless in the bottom of the boat, too
exhausted to reply.
"He's all right," said Canaris. "Don't make him talk. Take your paddle,
Chutney. We'll have a struggle to make the island."
The Greek was right. Far above them shone the flickering torch, and the
current was bearing them further away.
"I can't paddle and hold the torch at the same time," said Canaris. "We
must be guided by the light on the island."
And they bent to the paddles with a will, shouting from time to time to
encourage the colonel and Sir Arthur. It was even a harder task than
they had feared--to force the canoe through that fierce rush of water.
And for a time it seemed as though they were losing instead of gaining.
But at last the distant light grew brighter, and soon their friends
could be seen standing on the edge of the island.
Ten minutes' more labor brought the canoe to the small eddy behind the
island, and then the colonel hauled it gently upon the sand. They
climbed wearily out and bore Melton tenderly up the slope. His clothes
were foul and slimy from the serpent's embrace, but he did not seem to
be injured.
A few drops of stimulant would have had a good effect, but as this was
out of the question they did the next best thing under the
circumstances. His wet clothes were stripped off and wrung out. Then he
was wrapped snugly in three or four big rugs and laid in one of the
canoes, which was emptied for the purpose. This heroic treatment had a
speedy effect, and the patient, much to the relief of all, recovered
from his prostration and insisted on sitting up.
"No, I don't think I'm hurt," he said, in response to Guy's inquiries.
"It was the closest shave I ever had in my life, though. You may imagine
how I felt when the monster dragged me into the river. I gave myself up
for lost at once. He dived straight down, and then shot through the
water like a streak. One coil was still around my body, and hard as I
struggled I couldn't tear loose. My ears began to sing, and I knew I
would have to drown. Then I felt the coil grow a little looser, and with
one desperate struggle I tore away and came to the top. The first thing
I saw was the light away up on the island, and I shouted for help as
loud as I could. I was terribly afraid you would not hear me, and all
the time I was growing weaker and weaker, and the current was dragging
me farther and farther away. Then I saw your torch almost beside me, and
that is all I remember. I would have gone to the bottom in another
minute, I know. It was horrible, Chutney. It makes me faint to think of
it," and Melton closed his eyes with a little shudder.
There were tears in the eyes of all as they listened to the marvelous
story of his escape, and a sterner realization came to them of the
unknown and unseen dangers that encompassed them.
Further sleep was out of the question, and yet they could not well leave
the island until Melton's clothes were partially dry.
"Suppose we try some fishing," suggested Guy. "I have lines, and we can
bait the hooks with bits of dried meat."
"That would be an agreeable change in our bill of fare," said the
colonel. "I second the motion."
"Gentlemen, I beg of you, don't harass my feelings by talking of fish,"
protested Sir Arthur, who was gradually recovering from his severe
fright. "It makes me think of white-bait dinners at Greenwich. I dined
there two days before I sailed for Africa."
"And you will dine there again, many a time," replied the colonel. "Only
keep up your spirits, Ashby."
"I hope so, I'm sure," groaned Sir Arthur, with a dismal shake of the
head that belied his words.
Meanwhile Guy had been preparing the lines, and handing one to the
Greek, they cast them in the eddy below the island. In less than five
minutes Guy landed a trumpet, a fish of a deep purple color, a foot in
length. Canaris hauled one out at the same time, and within an hour they
had caught more than a dozen, all of the same species and of about the
same length.
"We'll take them along with us," said Guy. "We may find driftwood enough
to build a fire and cook them."
"And if we don't find any," cried Canaris, "we can cook them by holding
them in the flame of the torch."