"Black fellow hear powder bang," said Jimmy, grinning. "Tink um big bunyip. All go way now."

I turned to him sharply, listening the while.

"Yes: all go 'long. Tink bunyip. Kill um dead. No kill bunyip. Oh no!"

There was the sound of voices, but they were more distant, and then they seemed to come up the rift in quite a broken whisper, and the next moment they had died away.

"Safe, doctor!" I said, and we all breathed more freely than before.

The blacks had gone. Evidently they believed that the occupant of the cave had expired in that final roar, and when we afterwards crept cautiously round after a detour the next morning, it was to find that the place was all open, and for fifty yards round the bushes and tree-ferns torn down and burned.

The night of our escape we hardly turned from our positions, utterly exhausted as we were, and one by one we dropped asleep.

When I woke first it was sometime in the night, and through the trees the great stars were glinting down, and as I lay piecing together the adventures of the past day I once more fell fast asleep to be awakened by Jimmy in the warm sunlight of a glorious morning.

"All black fellow gone long way. Come kedge fis an fine 'nana."

I rose to my feet to see that the doctor was busy with his patient, who was none the worse for the troubles of the past day, and what was of more consequence, he was able to speak slowly and without running off into the native tongue.

We went down to the stream, Jack Penny bearing us company, and were pretty fortunate in cutting off some good-sized fish which were sunning themselves in a shallow, and Ti-hi and his companions were no less successful in getting fruit, so that when we returned we were able to light a fire and enjoy a hearty meal.

What I enjoyed the most, though, was a good lave in the clear cold water when we had a look at the mouth of the cave.

The doctor came to the conclusion that where we were, shut-in by high shelving sand rocks, was as safe a spot as we could expect, the more so that the blacks were not likely to come again, so we made this our camp, waiting to recruit a little and to let the black village settle down before making any farther attempt. Beside this there was our new companion--William Francis he told us his name was, and that he had been ten years a prisoner among the blacks. Until he had recovered from the effect of his unlucky wound we could not travel far, and our flight when we rescued my father must necessarily be swift.

It was terribly anxious work waiting day after day, but the doctor's advice was good--that we must be content to exist without news for fear, in sending scouts about the village at night, we should alarm the enemy.

"Better let them think there is no one at hand," said the doctor, "and our task will be the easier."

So for a whole fortnight we waited, pa.s.sing our time watching the bright scaled fish glance down the clear stream, or come up it in shoals; lying gazing at the brightly plumed birds that came and shrieked and climbed about the trees above our heads; while now and then we made cautious excursions into the open country in the direction opposite to the village, and fortunately without once encountering an enemy, but adding largely to our store of food, thanks to the bows and arrows of our friends.

At last, one evening, after quietly talking to us sometime about the sufferings of himself and my father, Mr Francis declared himself strong enough to accompany our retreat.

"The interest and excitement will keep me up," he said; "and you must not wait longer for me. Besides, I shall get stronger every day, and--"

He looked from me to the doctor and then back, and pa.s.sed his hand across his forehead as if to clear away a mist, while, when he began to speak again, it was not in English, and he burst into tears.

"Lie down and sleep," the doctor said firmly; and, obedient as a child, the patient let his head sink upon the rough couch he occupied and closed his eyes.

"It is as if as his body grew strong his mental powers weakened," said the doctor to me as soon as we were out of hearing; "but we must wait and see."

Then we set to and once more talked over our plans, arranging that we would make our attempt next night, and after studying the compa.s.s and the position we occupied we came to the decision that we had better work round to the far side of the village, post Mr Francis and two of the blacks there, with our baggage, which was princ.i.p.ally food; then make our venture, join them if successful, and go on in retreat at once.

CHAPTER THIRTY NINE.

HOW WE TOOK A LAST LOOK ROUND, AND FOUND IT WAS TIME TO GO.

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.