That next evening seemed as it would never come, and I lay tossing
feverishly from side to side vainly trying to obtain the rest my friend
recommended.
At last, though, the time came, and we were making our final
preparations, when the doctor decided that we would just take a look
round first by way of a scout.
It was fortunate that we did, for just as it was growing dusk, after a
good look round we were about to cross the rivulet, and go through the
cavern and up the rift back into camp, when I caught the doctor's arm
without a word.
He started and looked in the same direction as I did which was right
down the gully, and saw what had taken my attention, namely, the
stooping bodies of a couple of blacks hurrying away through the bushes
at a pretty good rate.
The doctor clapped his piece to his shoulder, and then dropped it once
more.
"No!" he said. "I might kill one, but the other would bear the news.
Fortunately they are going the other way and not ours. Quick, my lad!
let's get back to camp and start."
"And they'll come back with a lot of their warriors to attack us
to-night and find us gone!"
"And while they are gone, Joe, we will attack their place and carry off
our prize!"
"If we only could!" I cried fervently.
"No _ifs_, Joe," he said smiling; "we _will_!"
It did not take us many minutes to reach the mouth of the cave, and as
we entered I looked round again, to catch sight of another black figure
crouching far up the opposite bank, at the foot of a great tree.
I did not speak, for it was better that the black should not think he
had been seen, so followed the doctor into the cave, climbed the rift
with him, and found all ready for the start.
"Black fellow all 'bout over there way!" said Jimmy to me in a whisper.
"How do you know?" I said quickly.
"Jimmy smell am!" he replied seriously. "Jimmy go look 'bout. Smell um
black fellow, one eye peeping round um trees."
"Yes, we have seen them too," I said; and signing to him to follow, I
found the doctor.
"The sooner we are off the better!" he said. "Now, Mr Francis, do you
think you can lead us to the other side of the village, round by the
north? the enemy are on the watch."
Mr Francis turned his head without a word, and, leaning upon a stout
stick, started at once; and we followed in silence, just as the stars
were coming out.
It seemed very strange calling this savage-looking being Mr Francis,
but when talking with him during his recovery from his wound one only
needed to turn one's head to seem to be in conversation with a man who
had never been from his civilised fellows.
He went steadily on, the doctor next, and I followed the doctor; the
rest of our little party gliding silently through the forest for quite
three hours, when Mr Francis stopped, and it was decided to rest and
refresh ourselves a little before proceeding farther.
The doctor had settled to leave Mr Francis here, but he quietly
objected to this.
"No!" he said; "you want my help more now than ever. I am weak, but I
can take you right to the hut where Carstairs is kept a prisoner. If
you go alone you will lose time, and your expedition may--"
He stopped short and lay down upon the earth for a few minutes, during
which the doctor remained undecided. At last he bent down and whispered
a few words to his patient, who immediately rose.
Orders were then given to the blacks, who were to stay under the command
of Jack Penny, and, followed by Jimmy, and leaving the rest of our party
in the shade of an enormous tree, we set off once more.
The excitement made the distance seem so short that I was astounded when
a low murmur told us that we were close to the village, and, stepping
more cautiously, we were soon close up behind a great hut.
"This is the place," whispered Mr Francis. "He is kept prisoner here,
or else at the great hut on the other side. Hist! I'll creep forward
and listen."
He went down in a stooping position and disappeared, leaving us
listening to the continuous talk of evidently a numerous party of the
savages; and so like did it all seem to the last time, that no time
might have elapsed since we crouched there, breathing heavily with
excitement in the shade of the great trees that came close up to the
huts.
It was a painful time, for it seemed that all our schemes had been in
vain, and that we might as well give up our task, unless we could come
with so strong a body of followers that we could make a bold attack.
I whispered once or twice to the doctor, but he laid his hand upon my
lips. I turned to Jimmy, but he had crouched down, and was resting
himself according to his habit.
And so quite an hour passed away before we were aware by a slight rustle
that Mr Francis was back, looming up out of the darkness like some
giant, so strangely did the obscurity distort everything near at hand.
"Here!" he said in a low voice; and bending down we all listened to his
words, which came feebly, consequent upon his exertions.
"I have been to the far hut and he is not there!" he whispered. "I came
back to this and crept in unobserved. They are all talking about an
expedition that has gone off to the back of the cave--to destroy us.
Carstairs is in there, bound hand and foot."
"My poor father!" I moaned.
"I spoke to him and told him help was near," continued Mr Francis; "and
then--"
He muttered something in the savages' tongue, and then broke down and
began to sob.
"Take no notice," the doctor whispered to me, as I stood trembling
there, feeling as I did that I was only a few yards from him we had come
to save, and who was lying bound there waiting for the help that seemed
as if it would never come.
The doctor realised my feelings, for he came a little closer and pressed
my hand.
"Don't be downhearted, my lad," he whispered; "we are a long way nearer
to our journey's end than when we started."
"Yes!" I said; "but--"
"But! Nonsense, boy! Why, we've found your father. We know where he
is; and if we can't get him away by stratagem, we'll go to another tribe
of the blacks, make friends with them, and get them to fight on our
side."
"Nonsense, doctor!" I said bitterly. "You are only saying this to
comfort me."
"To get you to act like a man," he said sharply. "Shame upon you for
being so ready to give up in face of a few obstacles!"
I felt that the rebuke was deserved, and drew in my breath, trying to
nerve myself to bear this new disappointment, and to set my brain at
work scheming.
It seemed to grow darker just then, the stars fading out behind a thick
veil of clouds; and creeping nearer to the doctor I sat down beside
where he knelt, listening to the incessant talking of the savages.
We were not above half-a-dozen yards from the back of the great hut;
and, now rising into quite an angry shout, now descending into a low
buzz, the talk, talk, talk went on, as if they were saying the same
things over and over again.
I thought of my own captivity--of the way in which Gyp had come to me in
the night, and wondered whether it would be possible to cut away a
portion of the palm-leaf wall of the hut, and so get to the prisoner.
And all this while the talking went on, rising and falling till it
seemed almost maddening to hear.
We must have waited there quite a couple of hours, and still there was
no change. Though we could not see anything for the hut in front of us
we could tell that there was a good deal of excitement in the village,
consequent, the doctor whispered, upon the absence of a number of the
blacks on the expedition against us.
At last he crept from me to speak to Mr Francis.
"It is of no use to stay longer, I'm afraid, my lad," he whispered;
"unless we wait and see whether the hut is left empty when the
expedition party comes back, though I fear they will not come back till
morning."
"What are you going to do, then?" I said.
"Ask Francis to suggest a better hiding-place for us, where we can go
to-night and wait for another opportunity."