"Good old dogs, then," said Nic, patting their heads. "Go on, and take us right away, and when it gets daylight you may all have a good sleep.

Hie on, then, boys; hie on! Right away."

The dogs threw up their heads, snuffed about a bit, and then started off once more at a steady pace, which soon slowed down, and made the task of following them in the darkness much less difficult. Then all at once one of them uttered a low, whining sound and sprang off a little faster.

For the ground was more open here, the trees bigger, and the undergrowth--the great hindrance--scarce.

"Better going here, Master Nic, if it waren't for the great roots sticking out. Now, if the day would only break we should be able to zee better what we were doing. My word! if we could only come across a good wild-apple orchard it wouldn't be amiss."

"And that we shall not find."

"Never mind, zir; we'll find zum'at else--toadstools on the trees, or wild berries, or zomething; and if them dogs don't run down anything good for a roast, why, they don't come up to one of our old Devon lurchers. If this was one of our woods we shouldn't be long without something between our teeth. Don't you be downhearted; I'll find zome'at we can eat."

"I am not downhearted, Pete; and, if we can do so in safety, we'll go on walking all day."

"That's right; on'y we don't want to run upon no more plantations."

"No; we must trust to the wild country, Pete, till we can reach the sea."

"And not feel zafe when we get there, zir. Zay, Master Nic, I don't think much of a country where they has zlaves, whether they're white or whether they're black."

"Never mind that now, Pete; we have escaped."

"And without my having a chance to thrash Humpy Dee, and giving Master Zaunders one for his n.o.b."

"Hist! what's that?" whispered Nic, as a peculiar sound came through the trees.

"Water!" said Pete excitedly. "The dogs lapping. Come on, zir. My mouth's as if it was full of dust. The very thing we want."

The next minute the darkness seemed to be less intense, and in another they were close to a little stream, where the dogs were drinking deeply; but they left the edge as the fugitives came up, shook themselves, and stood by while Pete sought for a place a little higher up.

"Here you are, Master Nic," he said. "They might ha' let uz have first go; but I forgive 'em for finding it. Lie down on your face and drink."

Nic needed no incitement, and Pete followed his example, both enjoying the sweetest, most refreshing draught that had ever pa.s.sed their lips.

"Hall!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Pete as he raised himself into a sitting posture.

"Can't drink any more. Hope we aren't zwallowed no young 'gators or a snake; but if we have, zir, it'll be vittles as well as drink, and do uz good."

"Ugh! don't talk about it," said Nic. "But where are the dogs?"

"Eh? Gone on, I s'pose; and we must trot on too. I'm ready for anything now."

"Look, Pete. Yonder's the east."

"That's our way then, zir."

"And the sun will not be long before it's up. It is getting light fast.

Come along and find the dogs. We came up from the left; they will go right on to the right. We should have heard them if they had crossed the stream."

"That's right, lad. What a good--" Pete was going to say poacher, but he checked himself--"wood-man you'd have made. Forward, then. It's all open yonder."

A minute later they had stopped short, to see the three dogs walking across a clearing, plainly seen in the grey dawn, while to the left the stream had widened out.

It was only a momentary pause, and then the fugitives shrank back into cover, chilled to the heart by the dreadful truth.

The dogs, quite at home in the neighbouring forest, had taken them a long round, and brought them back to the plantation; and now, wearied out, they were making their way to their kennel at the back of the house and sheds.

The night's labour seemed to have been all in vain; and Nic laid his hand upon his companion's shoulder as he said, with a bitter sigh:

"Pete, Pete, it is hopeless. We shall never see the old home again."

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO.

NEVER SAY DIE.

"What zay?" cried Pete sharply. "Never zay die, lad. English lads are never beat. Look at that!"

He pointed through the trees at where the streamlet widened into the little creek where they had first landed, and Nic rubbed his eyes, refusing to believe in what he saw.

But there it was plain enough in the dim, grey dawn--the boat lying tied up to the post; and a great sob rose to the poor fellow's lips, while for a few moments he could not stir.

Then a thrill of excitement ran through him as he looked round and saw that the dogs had pa.s.sed out of sight beyond the long, low shed which had been their jail.

It came like a flash to him now what must have taken place--one of those guesses at the truth which hit the mark. He knew that his enemies had dashed off in pursuit of the men who had made for the boat.

They must have been overtaken during the night, brought back, and were doubtless at that moment shut up in their old quarters.

Nic hurriedly told Pete his impression, and the latter slapped his leg.

"That's it," he said, "and zarve 'em right, zir. That's tumbling into the hole you made for zomebody else, isn't it? That's why they've not blown the old sh.e.l.l yet and didn't put the boat back. Been out all night."

"Could we make sure by trying to see whether there is any one on guard at the barrack-door?"

"Zoon do that, zir," said Pete; and, going down upon hands and knees, he crawled away among the bushes, to be back in a few minutes.

"Old Zamson and Zerk both there at the door, zir, with guns."

"Then they have caught them," said Nic excitedly. "But the blacks are both sitting down, fast asleep, zir."

"Worn out with their night's work, Pete; but the prisoners will be well ironed and safe enough."

"Ay, zir, or they'd have had the boat by now."

"Now then, can we crawl to it under cover? We must be off at once."

"Couldn't on'y crawl half-way, zir, and then it's all open, and we might be shot at if they zaw us from the house. Better make a dash for it at once and chance it."

"Come on, then," cried Nic; and they ran as quickly as they could down by the side of the creek, reached the boat in safety, found that the poles and oars were in their places, and jumped in.