The River of Darkness Part 29

CHAPTER XXIX.

GUY SAVES SIR ARTHUR.

This new alarm, coming just at the uncertain period of their struggle, was quite enough to strike despair to the hearts of all.

"That was Sir Arthur's voice we heard first," exclaimed Forbes. "And it is Canaris who is shouting for help. What are we going to do about it?"

"Tell him to hold out for a moment," cried Guy. "I'll wind up this affair pretty quick."

Raising the axe, he made a sudden dart forward and buried the blade deep in the serpent's head. It was a clever stroke and so forcible that the axe was jerked from his hand.

The colonel dragged him hastily back, but the danger was over. The monster was thrashing the blood-stained sand in his death agonies, powerless to do further harm.

Canaris was still calling for help, and, leaving their dying antagonist, the others plunged across the island. The Greek was running up and down the strip of sand, and far out on the lake the canoe was visible in the radius of light, with Sir Arthur standing erect in the bow.

"He won't take the paddle!" exclaimed Canaris. "He says there is something splashing in the lake beyond him. He's a dead man if he doesn't get back to the island."

"Sir Arthur," shouted the colonel, "come back; paddle for your life. Do you hear me?"

The only response was a cry of fright. Sir Arthur was plainly too dazed to be capable of action. He had just wakened, and the horror of his situation was too much for him.

"Save me! save me!" he cried. "The serpent is coming; I can hear it splashing the water."

"Take the paddle," shouted Guy, "and steer for the island. If you don't you are lost."

This seemed to arouse the imperiled man to action. He s.n.a.t.c.hed up a paddle, and, dropping to his knees, drove the canoe forward with frantic strokes.

His companions encouraged him with cheering words as he came nearer. The island was barely twenty yards distant when the paddle slipped from his grasp. He turned round, apparently to pick up another, and then threw himself with a dismal cry to the bottom of the canoe.

The cause of his new and sudden fright was readily seen. On the edge of the gloom, not many yards beyond the canoe, a violent agitation of the water was visible. There undoubtedly was another large serpent in pursuit, and at that moment it looked very much as though Sir Arthur was doomed.

In spite of all the frantic shouts and directions of his friends he continued to utter piteous appeals for help from the bottom of the canoe. When at length he _did_ recover enough self-control to take hold of another paddle, a serpent's head and body were actually in sight, approaching at a rapid speed.

Not only was Sir Arthur's life now at stake, but, in addition, guns, canoe, and all would be lost, thus leaving the rest of the party unarmed on the island, at the mercy of the ravenous serpents who appeared to swarm in the lake.

One of those sudden impulses common to his nature now flashed into Guy's mind, and, without giving himself a second for deliberation, he flung off jacket and shoes, and before anyone could raise a hand to restrain him, dived headforemost into the lake.

He came to the surface within ten yards of the canoe, which was making but feeble progress under Sir Arthur's erratic strokes.

Swimming hand over hand, Guy reached the bow and quickly drew himself over the side, just as the pursuing serpent came within seven or eight yards of the stern of the canoe.

His original intention to paddle for the island was instantly abandoned.

Bidding Sir Arthur work l.u.s.tily, he s.n.a.t.c.hed up his rifle and took a careful aim at the approaching monster, who was snorting and hissing in a truly frightful manner.

The sharp report came at once, producing a thousand echoes through the hollow vault of the cavern, and under cover of the drifting smoke, which for the moment concealed the result of the shot, Guy sprang to Sir Arthur's aid with another paddle.

Half a dozen of his powerful strokes brought the canoe within a yard of the sh.o.r.e. A terrific splashing in his rear, as well as the loud shouts of his friends, warned Guy of the imminence of danger.

Fairly pushing Sir Arthur out of the canoe into the water, waist deep, he tossed the provisions far out on the island, caught up the guns, and made a frantic leap. He landed on the edge of the sand, and was instantly caught by eager arms, and pulled far up the beach. He turned, to realize with a shudder the narrowness of his escape.

Made furious by the bullet hole which Guy had put in his spotted skin, the monster threw himself on the abandoned canoe, which they had been unable to save, and with a sickening crunch it was shivered to a shapeless ma.s.s of fragments, under the pressure of the mighty coils.

Then, as the serpent flung himself on sh.o.r.e, they realized that it was time to act. A blazing torch in the Greek's hand lit up the scene as Guy c.o.c.ked his rifle and awaited an opportunity for a shot.

It was not slow in coming. As the long neck and head darted forward, Guy fired, and the bullet tore its way through the reptile's throat.

There was no necessity for a second shot. The death-agony began right there, and in its convulsive throes the serpent flung himself back into the water, and with a final quiver disappeared in the depths of the lake, leaving a trail of blood on the silvery white sand.

With expressions of grat.i.tude for their escape, all hurried down to the broken canoe.

"A hundred men could never put this together again," said Guy, as he pulled a couple of floating fragments from the water.

The torches and rugs were easily procured, and laid away to dry, but the lamp and the oil-flask could not be found. They were probably at the bottom, but no one cared to dive after them.

"That was the closest shave I ever saw," said the colonel. "I gave you both up for lost, and as for that daring act of yours, Chutney, I cannot find words to express my admiration. You saved Sir Arthur's life."

Guy modestly made no reply. He calmly pulled on his jacket and shoes, and suggested that they cross the island and take a look at the other serpent.

The reptile was found to be quite dead, and little wonder, after all the spears that had entered his coils. As near as they could judge, he was between thirty and forty feet long, with a body as thick as a small keg.

The skin was repulsive and slimy, of a dirty green color.

"It's a regular sea-serpent," said Melton. "What a sensation a monster of this kind would make if he were put on exhibition at the Zoo."

"And the other one was fully as large," added Guy. "That makes no less than four we have already encountered. There must be a great many in the river and lake."

One glimpse of the creature sickened Sir Arthur. He turned away and sat down on the edge of the raft.

Up to this moment the excitement had banished all else from their minds.

They had fought a desperate fight for life and conquered. At the very flush of their success the shadow of certain death returned, blacker and more forbidding than ever, and in a moment their triumphant feelings were changed to deepest melancholy.

A short time before, under the influence of the colonel's philosophical words, they had felt in some manner resigned to a fate that nothing could avert. Now it was ten times more horrible and loathsome to contemplate, ten times harder to realize.

Absurd as it seemed, fresh hope sprang up in their hearts, and they tried to reason themselves into the belief that some unlooked-for chance of escape would offer itself yet.

Even the colonel's mood had changed, and it was easy to see that he was struggling with some terrible emotion.

The desire for life that was strong within him suggested to Guy a new plan; nothing, indeed, that offered any hope of escape, but merely a solution to his curiosity.

He remembered that on each occasion when their canoe had been caught by the influx of the river it had been carried direct to this island, a fact which seemed to prove the existence of a sluggish current through the center of the lake.

Did this current continue on past the island, and if so, whither did it lead?

A solution to these two problems Guy was curious to obtain.

It served to occupy his mind, to keep his thoughts from dwelling on the horrible fate that was in store for him.

It was more than likely, he told himself, that whirlpools would be found in the center of the lake. Well, drowning would be an easy death compared to the lingering tortures of starvation.