"Why, Gyp," I said in a low voice, "what is it, old fellow?"
He whined and growled and turned back, trotting towards the burning
village.
"Yes, I know it's on fire," I said. "Come along."
But the dog would not follow. He whined and snuffled and ran back a
little farther, when from some distance behind I heard a rustling and a
panting noise, which made me spring round and cock my gun.
"Followed!" I said to myself, as I continued my retreat, but only to
stop short, for from the direction in which we had come I heard
whispered, more than called, the familiar cry of the Australian savage,
a cry that must, I knew, come from Jimmy, and this explained Gyp's
appearance.
"_Cooey_!"
There it was again, and without hesitation I walked sharply back, Gyp
running before me as he would not have done had there been an enemy
near.
There was the panting and rustling again as I retraced my steps, with
the light growing plainer, and in less than a minute I came upon Jimmy
trudging slowly along with a heavy burden on his back, a second glance
at which made me stop speechless in my tracks.
"Mass Joe! Jimmy got um fader. Much big heavy. Jimmy got um right
fas'."
He panted with the exertion, for he tried to break into a trot.
I could do no more than go to his side and lay my trembling hands upon
the shoulder of his burden--a man whom he was carrying upon his back.
"Go on!" I said hoarsely. "Forward, Gyp, and stop them!"
The dog understood the word "Forward," and went on with a rush, while I
let Jimmy pass me, feeling that if he really had him we sought he was
performing my duty, while all I could do was to form the rear-guard and
protect them even with my life if we were pursued.
Either the dog was leading close in front or the black went on by a kind
of instinct in the way taken by our companions. At any rate he went
steadily on, and I followed, trembling with excitement, ten or a dozen
yards behind, in dread lest it should not be true that we had succeeded
after all.
The light behind us increased so that I could plainly see the bent
helpless load upon our follower's back; but the black trudged steadily
on and I followed, panting with eagerness and ready the moment Jimmy
paused to leap forward and try to take his place.
The fire must have been increasing fast, and the idea was dawning upon
me that perhaps this was a plan of the black's, who had set fire to one
of the huts and then seized the opportunity to get the prisoner away.
It was like the Australian to do such a thing as this, for he was
cunning and full of stratagem, and though it was improbable the idea was
growing upon me, when all at once a tremendous weight seemed to fall
upon my head and I was dashed to the earth, with a sturdy savage
pressing me down, dragging my hands behind me, and beginning to fasten
them with some kind of thong.
For the moment I was half-stunned. Then the idea came to me of help
being at hand, and I was about to _cooey_ and bring Jimmy to my side,
but my lips closed and I set my teeth.
"No," I thought, "he may escape. If any one is to be taken let it be
me; my turn will come later on."
My captor had evidently been exerting himself a great deal to overtake
me, and after binding me he contented himself by sitting upon my back,
panting heavily, to rest himself, while, knowing that struggling would
be in vain, I remained motionless, satisfied that every minute was of
inestimable value, and that once the doctor knew of the black's success
he would use every exertion to get the captive in safety, and then he
would be sure to come in search of me.
Then I shuddered, for I remembered what Mr Francis had said about the
people being infuriated at such a time, and as I did so I felt that I
was a long way yet from being a man.
All at once my captor leaped up, and seizing me by the arm he gave me a
fearful wrench to make me rise to my feet.
For some minutes past I had been expecting to see others of his party
come up, or to hear him shout to them, but he remained silent, and stood
at last hesitating or listening to the faint shouts that came from the
glow beyond the trees.
Suddenly he thrust me before him, shaking his waddy menacingly. The
next moment he uttered a cry. There was a sharp crack as of one
war-club striking another, and then I was struck down by two men
struggling fiercely. There were some inarticulate words, and a snarling
and panting like two wild beasts engaged in a hard fight, and then a
heavy fall, a dull thud, and the sound of a blow, as if some one had
struck a tree branch with a club.
I could see nothing from where I lay, but as soon as I could recover
myself I was struggling to my feet, when a black figure loomed over me,
and a familiar voice said hoarsely:
"Where Mass Joe knife, cut um 'tring?"
"Jimmy!" I said. "My father?"
"Set um down come look Mass Joe. Come 'long fas. Gyp take care Jimmy
fader till um come back again again."
As Jimmy spoke he thrust his hand into my pocket for my knife, while I
was too much interested in his words to remind him that there was my
large sheath-knife in my belt.
"Come 'long," he said as he set me free, and we were starting when he
stopped short: "No; tie black fellow up firs'. No, can't 'top."
Before I knew what he meant to do he had given the prostrate black a
sharp rap on the head with his waddy.
"Jimmy!" I said; "you'll kill him!"
"Kill him! No, makum sleep, sleep. Come 'long."
He went off at a sharp walk and I followed, glancing back anxiously from
time to time and listening, till we reached the spot where he had set
down his burden, just as the doctor came back, having missed me, and
being in dread lest I had lost my way.
I did not speak--I could not, but threw myself on my knees beside the
strange, long-haired, thickly-bearded figure seated with its back
against a tree, while the doctor drew back as soon as he realised that
it was my father the black had saved.