"Yes, sir. One of the black thieves made a job at me."

"But you are not hurt much?"

"Quite enough, sir. But a hurt soon heals up. I want to know about you, sir."

"Yes, yes; but tell me--what about Buck Denham?"

"Got enough, sir, to make him horrid wild. But he don't mind much."

"Ah!" said Mark quietly, as he fought hard with the difficulty of thinking. "Has the doctor seen him?"

"No, sir," said the man hesitatingly.

"But he ought to see him," continued Mark, "and you too. He knows so much about that sort of thing. Why doesn't he come and see me? There!

There's that pain back again, as if I was burnt."

"Yes, sir; it is nasty, of course. I have done all I knowed to it."

"Thank you, Dan. What is it?"

"Spear, sir. But it's quite clean; I saw to that. It's your head's the worst."

"Yes," sighed Mark. "It's my head's the worst. Well, now go and tell the doctor to come."

Dan was silent.

"Did you hear what I said?"

"Yes, sir," said the man, "but hadn't you better try and go to sleep?"

"I have been trying for hours, Dan--ever since I lay down; and then as I couldn't I got out of the waggon and came to have a chat with you; and then--it wasn't you, because it was--because it was--is that you, Dan?"

"Yes, my dear lad; it's me. What is it you want?"

"I don't know, Dan, only I feel as if I couldn't think and talk properly. Who's that?"

"Buck Denham, my lad. How goes it?" said the big fellow.

"I don't know, Buck, only that--oh, Dan said that you got hurt with a spear."

"Oh, yes, my lad; a bit of a dig--made me so wild I brought the b.u.t.t of my rifle down on that n.i.g.g.e.r's head, and it was too dark to see, but I felt him roll over, and I trod on him."

"Look here--look here, Buck; I'm hurt."

"Yes, my lad; but just you lie quiet and try to sleep it off."

"Now you are talking the same. I want the doctor to come and see to Dan; and you had better let him see to you too. I say, Buck, whose father was it somebody was asking for?"

"Whose father, my lad?"

"Yes. I was lying in the dark, and I heard somebody call out for him."

"Here, I say, Dan, lad, what's to be done?" said the big driver, in a soft, deep growl. "Don't he know?"

"No," said Dan quietly. "A bit off his head still."

"What's that you are saying?" said Mark sharply. "What is it I don't know? Well--why don't you speak?"

"Don't--don't talk so much, my lad," said Buck softly. "You are a bit off your head from that club."

"Yes--yes--oh, I understand; you are trying to make me not think about it. Ah, I can think better now. Where's my father?"

Neither of the men replied.

"Yes, I do understand more now. I know, Buck, you are keeping something from me. Don't say my father's hurt!"

The boy waited for the answer that did not come.

"Then he is!" he cried excitedly. "And Dr Robertson?"

Still there was no reply.

"Ah, you won't tell me! Call my cousin--no," added the boy sharply, "don't--pray don't. Speak to me yourselves; I can bear anything now."

"You had better tell him, Dan, lad. He must know."

"Can't, messmate," came in a hoa.r.s.e whisper. "You are a bigger chap than me; you tell him, for you are about right: he ought to know."

"Yes, I ought to know, Buck," said the boy softly, and he winced with agony as he tried to raise his left hand, but let it fall directly and caught at the big fellow's wrist with his right. "Now tell me, or tell me if I am right, for I can think now--that cloud has gone. The blacks attacked us last night?"

"Ay, my lad. They stole a march on us."

"And my father?"

"I dunno, my lad," said Buck hoa.r.s.ely.

"The doctor, then?"

"Nay, Mr Mark, sir; it was all so dark, and such rough work, that I heard him shouting to us to come on, and that was all."

"Well, is Dunn Brown here?"

"Nay, my lad. He turned tail and left us in the lurch."

"Oh!" groaned Mark. "But Peter and Bob Bacon?"

"They fought like men, sir, and I hope we all did; but they were too much for us, and if it hadn't been for our two black fellows I don't believe Dan and me would have got you two young gents out of it."