Hunting the Skipper Part 89

"Yes, sir, we might," replied the man, "but there's lots more on 'em about, and we may be tumbling out o' the frying-pan into the fire."

"Yes, Tom," said the middy, "and we are pretty well hidden. I propose that we lie here till those two poor fellows wake up. They may be better then and so far able to help us that they may get along with our arms."

"Yes, sir," said May quietly, "and I'd stop at that. Besides, Mr Anderson's looking after us, and perhaps he knows the way back to that rondyvoo of his, for it must be somewheres not very far-off. Don't you think the first luff may be sending that black See-saw chap to look for us?"

"Yes, very likely, Tom. Capital!"

"Yes, sir; it don't seem so bad now we come to think of it. See-saw knows all about these parts, sir, and it would be a pity for him to come to find us, and walk into this patch of trees and find as we'd gone."

"Yes, of course, Tom. Then you think that our wisest plan would be to lie here and wait for a few hours at all events and see what turns up?"

"That's it exactly, sir."

"Then that's what we'll do, Tom."

"Thankye, sir."

"Why do you say that, Tom?"

"Oh, 'cause you said what we'd do."

"Of course."

"Yes, sir, but some young gents--Mr Roberts there, for instance--would ha' thought he knowed best and wouldn't have listened to a bit of advice. Pst! Don't you hear some un coming along, making the trees rustle and crackle a bit?"

Murray listened eagerly, before turning to the big sailor again.

"No. Your ears are better than mine, Tom."

The middy had hardly ceased speaking before there was a heavy burst of coa.r.s.e laughter, and then several voices came from some little distance away, while as the listeners crouched together and drew their cutla.s.ses, after Tom May had raised the pan of his musket and closed it again, satisfied that the priming was correct, the pair gazed in each other's eyes, for Roberts started and turned uneasily, waking the wounded sailor, who began to talk aloud and incoherently about manning a boat and getting ash.o.r.e.

"What's to be done, Tom?" whispered Murray; and as he spoke he loosened the knot of his neckerchief and slipped it off, to hold it to the big sailor.

"Right, sir. Can't do better than that." And taking the silk kerchief, Tom began to crawl close to where the man's voice was sinking to a low muttering, the poor fellow being perfectly unconscious of the fact that his messmate was leaning over him ready to use the silken tie as a gag and thrust it between his teeth if he went on talking and the enemy drew near.

Fortunately it seemed as if all the mutterings were about to die out, and though coa.r.s.e mirth was on the increase, and the party of searchers were drawing nearer, it appeared to Murray that the rough means of quieting the wounded man would not be called into service, when all at once, when the peril of being discovered was growing to be more grave, Roberts started as if from pain, and threw out his arms sharply, striking t.i.tely upon the side of the head.

It was not sufficient to cause pain, but the poor fellow's lips parted to cry out, and he gave forth an inarticulate sound caused by the sudden descent of the rolled-up pad of black silk vigorously planted in its place by the st.u.r.dy hand of Tom May.

The next minute there was a violent struggling to add to the gurgling noise, and in spite of the big sailor's efforts, the gagged one wrenched his head free from the pressure of the hand, and uttered a loud cry of annoyance and pain.

CHAPTER FORTY.

DEALING WITH THE WOUNDED.

"It's all over," thought Murray, and he turned sharply from watching for the approach of the enemy, for the big sailor whispered--

"Don't get up, sir, till they close in; then make one jump for it and stand back to hit, but take distance and give me plenty of room for a good swing."

The midshipman did not reply, but crouched down with his time divided between waiting for the enemy's approach and listening for the next utterance made by t.i.tely or his brother officer.

The attention of the slaver's men had evidently been attracted by the sounds, for from where Murray crouched down among the thick growth, he saw that two of the party had stopped short to gaze straight away before them, but not in the direction where the fugitives waited to be discovered; and the young officer, when he afterwards thought over the matter, decided that though they must have heard the noise that was made, it was when several of their companions were talking aloud, so that the listeners had not been able to tell with certainty from whence the cry had come. For after a short colloquy, during which Murray could distinctly see that the two men in question were addressing their fellows who surrounded them, there was a little gesticulating, a pointing towards a different portion of the forest, and the gang went off along what proved to be a well-beaten track.

"Hah!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Murray, after waiting impatiently for what seemed to be a full quarter of an hour. "I think we'll make a movement soon, Tom May."

"Right, sir. Where to? One moment first. You'd better take my musket, sir, because I shall have to carry Mr Roberts. I wish they'd come to their senses so as we could make sure that they don't let out again as if they wanted to tell the enemy where we are."

"What's the matter?" cried Roberts, in a tone which made his brother midshipman start. "Has some one been hurt?"

He was in pain, but seemed to be quite calm and sensible now, as he listened to Murray's explanation of the position in which they were.

"It's bad," he said. "I can hardly understand it, for I've been in a regular feverish dream. But tell me, what are you going to do?"

Before Murray could answer, t.i.tely sat up suddenly.

"That you, Tom May?" he said huskily.

"Ay, messmate," was the reply. "Me it is. What is it?"

"Take the tin, mate, and dip me a drink o' water.--Why, hullo! Where are we now? Not out in the forest?"

"Out in the forest it is, my lad, and the enemy's close arter us,"

replied the big sailor.

"Enemy?" said the poor fellow, in a wondering tone of voice. "Why, that means--Yes, I remember now. I'm hurt, arn't I?"

"Yes, messmate; you got just touched by a bullet."

"To be sure," said t.i.tely. "Yes, I remember now. Well, somebody's got to be hurt, of course. Anybody else just touched by a bullet?"

"Mr Roberts."

"Has he now? Well, orficers leads, and they has the best chance of it.

Doctor seen him?"

"No."

"Course not; he wasn't with the expedition. Arn't seen me neither, I s'pose?"

"No," growled Tom May; "but look here, messmate, you and Mr Roberts atween you nearly give us up to the enemy."

"Me? I don't know about Mr Roberts, but you're not going to make me believe I should try and give you up to the enemy. Is it likely, Mr Murray, sir?"

"No, t.i.tely; it's the last thing you would do."

"There, Tommy! Hear that?"