Bunyip Land Part 62

I recoiled shuddering.

"We must get away to a place of safety, hide for a few days, and then try again. I shall be stronger perhaps then, and can help."

"It is right," said the doctor calmly. "Come, Joe. Patience!"

I saw that he was right, for the fire was leaping from hut to hut, and there was a glow that lit up the forest far and wide. Had anyone come near we must have been seen, but the savages were all apparently congregated near the burning huts, while the great sparks and flakes of fire rose up and floated far away above the trees, glittering like stars in the ruddy glow.

"Go on then," I said, with a groan of disappointment, and Mr Francis took the lead once more, and, the doctor following, I was last.

"But Jimmy!" I said. "We must not leave him behind."

"He will find us," said the doctor. "Come along."

There was nothing for me to do but obey, so I followed reluctantly, the glow from the burning village being so great that the branches of the trees stood up clearly before us, and we had no difficulty in going on.

I followed more reluctantly when I remembered Gyp, and chirruped to him, expecting to find him at my heels, but he was not there.

"He has gone on in front," I thought, and once more I tramped wearily on, when there was a rush and a bound and Gyp leaped up at me, catching my jacket in his teeth and shaking it hard.

CHAPTER FORTY.

HOW JIMMY CRIED "COOEE!" AND WHY HE CALLED.

"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 c.o.c.k 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.

"Ma.s.s 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 hoa.r.s.ely. "Forward, Gyp, and stop them!"

The dog understood the word "Forward," and went on with a rush, while I let Jimmy pa.s.s 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 st.u.r.dy 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 hoa.r.s.ely:

"Where Ma.s.s Joe knife, cut um 'tring?"

"Jimmy!" I said. "My father?"

"Set um down come look Ma.s.s 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, mak.u.m 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.

CHAPTER FORTY ONE.

HOW JIMMY HEARD THE BUNYIP SPEAK, AND IT ALL PROVED TO BE "BIG 'TUFF."