"Hoot! Hoot!"

This time d.i.c.k sat up on his elbow, and looked about him vainly for the bird. "Hoot! Hoot!" It came from his right, and he slowly turned his head in that direction. Then he did a curious thing. He lay flat of a sudden, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes vigorously.

"That's rummy!" he murmured beneath his breath. "One of the boats has disappeared, and the others are moving away, and--what does it all mean?"

He rolled on to his back, lifted his head cautiously, and stared at the roof of the cabin. There was the figure of the Dutchman--immovable, looking fantastically huge, and sprawled out at full length. There was no pipe now to be seen, no smoke issued from his lips, while the rifle reposed beside him. Then came a deep, m.u.f.fled snore. Meinheer Van Somering was asleep.

"Then there is some one near us," said d.i.c.k, swiftly. "Some one is stealing the boats. I must act with caution."

He had had experience of a midnight marauder before, and he determined on this occasion not to be so easily beaten. He rose to his knees, and crawled along the deck till he reached the Dutchman. A moment later he had the rifle in his hands, and had drawn back the lock. Click! At the crisp sound some one stirred. A dusky figure stood up on one of the boats close by, and commenced to pole l.u.s.tily. Then a second stood erect, and d.i.c.k could hear the splash as his pole fell into the water.

"Stop!" he shouted. "Bring that boat back, or I fire!"

He covered the nearest figure with his weapon, and waited, while his shout was followed immediately by a scuffling behind him, and by the almost instant appearance of Mr Pepson. The latter seemed to take in the position at a glance. His eye detected the boat now so far away, the two remaining ones being poled by the two dark figures, and the huge, lumbering body of the Dutchman, still motionless and asleep.

"Shoot," he said, quietly.

d.i.c.k lifted the weapon again, sighted for his man, and fired. There was a loud shriek, and hardly had the echo of the shot died down when a splash told that the bullet had reached. But our hero was not content.

He stretched for the bag, s.n.a.t.c.hed another cartridge, and, having placed it in the rifle, covered the second man. However there was no need to fire, for a second splash told that the miscreant, warned by the fate of his comrade, had leaped overboard.

"What has happened?" demanded Mr Pepson, sharply, but with no trace of excitement in his voice. "You were asleep, for it is barely half-past eight. You found our watchman also asleep, and the boats departing.

Did you see any one else?"

"No one," answered d.i.c.k, promptly. "But there must be one other at least. Look! There is a man poling the far boat."

"And he is too far away for a shot now. I might hit him, but the light is deceptive."

"Then why not follow sir?" exclaimed d.i.c.k. "Johnnie banked the fires, and in a few minutes there should be steam. That boat won't have a chance. We shall be up with her before she can get far."

"But not before our goods are stolen. No, we will give chase in one of the other boats," said Mr Pepson, with decision. "Meinheer, bring the steamer along at once. d.i.c.k and I will follow."

Already he was throwing off the hawser which held the anchor, and, as he did so, d.i.c.k seized a pole. A few strokes took the launch close to the moving boats which had been so silently set adrift.

"Hold on, Johnnie, and you too, Meinheer," called out Mr Pepson. "Now, d.i.c.k, get aboard with the gun, and I'll follow with another. We'll make one boat fast and pole the other down."

He ran along the deck of the launch, while d.i.c.k leaped into one of the native craft, two of which remained lashed side by side, and were floating away together. Suddenly a thought occurred to him. He sprang back into the launch, seized the bag of cartridges, and satisfying himself that it was well filled, slung it over his shoulder and again sprang into the native boat.

"Better get all ready for the pursuit," he said to himself. "I'll set the two boats free, and toss the end of a rope attached to one to Meinheer. He can make it fast aft and follow with the boat in tow."

He fell upon the lashings with eagerness, and when Mr Pepson appeared from the cabin, carrying a rifle, d.i.c.k had the two boats separated, and had tossed a rope attached to one to the Dutchman.

"Catch, Meinheer!" he shouted, for the burly Dutchman, since he had become fully awake, seemed to be endeavouring to collect his wits. The report of the rifle had brought him languidly to his feet, and now he stared at his two comrades in amazement, wholly unable to understand the need for such bustling, or for so much excitement.

"Bud whad is zis?" he demanded. "Is id ze middle of ze nighd, or-- whad?"

"It means that you've been asleep when you ought to have been keeping watch," answered Mr Pepson, bluntly. "Some thieves have cut our boats adrift, and one is being poled away. Don't stare, Meinheer. Take the rope d.i.c.k has thrown and make it fast. Then follow as soon as you have steam. Johnnie, get that fire to blaze."

He stepped into the native craft and took the pole which d.i.c.k offered him.

"Ready?" asked d.i.c.k.

A loud splash was the only answer, as Mr Pepson let his pole fall into the water. d.i.c.k followed suit, and in a little while they were shooting down the river, which in these parts was sufficiently shallow to allow of poling.

"Keep her in near the bank, sir," sang out d.i.c.k. "It gets deeper out there, and I've noticed that the fellow who is poling is sometimes unable to bottom. We are getting nearer already. Can we try a shot?"

"Wait," was the answer. "We have him in any case. He cannot escape us, and if we only keep him in sight he cannot take our goods. Keep on as we are till we are certain of a shot. If he tries to make to the opposite sh.o.r.e, where all is dense shadow, we will drop our poles and fire together."

Ten minutes later they had overhauled the runaway to some extent, and when half an hour had pa.s.sed they judged that they were within easy distance.

"Try a shot," said Mr Pepson. "Your young eyes are better than mine.

Don't hesitate, my lad. These fellows are rogues and would kill us without a thought. We must teach them a lesson."

Till that moment our hero would not have thought of hesitating, for he had felt the excitement of the chase, and he realised that he had to do with robbers who no doubt would have no scruples in killing him were he to come upon them. But just then the excitement had lessened somewhat.

They were overhauling the chase without a doubt, and the figure poling the runaway boat looked so harmless there in the moonlight. Also he appeared to be unarmed. However, an order was an order, and his duty was plain. He dropped his pole into the bottom of the boat, picked up his rifle, and took a careful sight.

"Sight about the middle of his body--no higher," said Mr Pepson. "That should find a mark."

Crash! The report of the rifle set the jungle ringing, while it reverberated along the still surface of the river. Then came a shriek, followed by a shout from the sh.o.r.e. The native who poled the boat staggered and almost fell. Then he recovered himself, answered the shout from the sh.o.r.e, and in an instant had swung the boat's head round in that direction.

"We have him sure enough," cried Mr Pepson, for the first time showing some trace of excitement. "He is making for the moonlit side, and cannot escape. At least, the boat and its freight are ours again. Drop the rifle and take to the pole."

They plunged their long poles into the water and sent the craft dancing after the other. But quick as they were, the boat in advance seemed to shoot across the moonlit stretch, and rapidly gained the bank. Again there was a shout, a dark figure ran out into the river, splashing the water loudly. Then a second followed, while the native who had been aboard threw his pole aside and staggered ash.o.r.e.

"Heavily hit," gasped Mr Pepson, for the exertion of poling was beginning to tell upon him. "But I was right. We have the boat, and, after all, what more do we want? Pole easily, d.i.c.k, and keep an eye on those fellows. Ah, they seem to have run for it. We have nothing to fear from them at least."

They pushed their craft gently into the shallows, till they were almost beneath the trees. Then, giving one l.u.s.ty push, d.i.c.k stepped over the side and waded, dragging the boat after him. A minute later both were ash.o.r.e, and were inspecting the other craft.

"We were just in time," said Mr Pepson, in tones of the greatest satisfaction. "Another few minutes and they would have got clear away, and then good-bye to the expedition, for a time at any rate. Make her fast, d.i.c.k, and keep a watch ash.o.r.e."

Well was it for both of them that d.i.c.k did as he was told. Indeed, from the moment at which he had leaped into the river and commenced to wade, his suspicions had kept him alert with his eyes fixed upon the jungle and bush into which the three dark figures had disappeared. And now he was to find good cause for his wariness, for, of a sudden, as Mr Pepson took the rope which was made fast to the bows of the runaway, and dragged it towards the craft in which they had undertaken the pursuit, a sharp sound came from the depths of the jungle. It was the snapping of a dried twig, a crisp and startling noise which caused both to look up suddenly.

"They are not so far away, I think," said d.i.c.k, in a low voice.

"Wouldn't it be better if we moved away, sir? We are in the full blaze of the moon's rays here, while they are in the shadow. That's how that robber managed to get away from me down at the coast."

Hardly had the words left his lips when a single shot rang out, startling the silence, while the flash of the weapon lit up the immediate surroundings of the bush, and showed a dozen dark figures perhaps, all in the act of running forward. d.i.c.k noticed that in the twinkling of an eye, and heard also the click of the missile as it struck a hanging bough some feet in front of him. Then there was a dull thud, that thud which in the old days of large calibre rifles and heavy bullets told unmistakably of a hit. A second later a heavy splash and a sickening gurgle told the young Englishman the horrid truth. His comrade had been struck and had fallen into the shallow water.

It was a terrifying position, and for a second d.i.c.k stood rooted to the spot with consternation. Then his courage returned, and with the memory of that glimpse of charging figures which the flash of the rifle had given him, he stooped, clutched his fallen friend, and staggered to the boat. Half throwing him into it, he leaned across the thwarts, seized his rifle, and extracted a cartridge from the bag. He had still a moment to spare, for the patter of feet and the snap of many a twig told him that the enemy were not yet quite at hand.

"They are bound to kill us both here in the light," he thought, as the prominence of their position flashed across his brain. "I'll get into the shadow."

He had always been noted for his agility, and on this fine night our hero surpa.s.sed himself. Fear gave him strength, or else he could hardly have lifted his comrade as he had done. And now the same stimulus seemed to have sharpened his wits. He leaped at the gunwale of the boat and pushed the craft into deeper water. Then with a parting thrust of his leg he scrambled aboard, while the boat, impelled by the push he had given it, shot across the moonlit shadows, and burst its way into the deep shade of an overhanging tree. d.i.c.k clutched a bough and arrested its further progress. Then leaning his shoulder against the same friendly limb of the tree, he raised the rifle to his shoulder. There was a chorus of loud shouts, the splash of many feet, and in a second ten dusky figures burst into the full light of the moon and rushed towards the tree which hid their quarry. Not till then did d.i.c.k fully realise his danger. He had imagined till now that his foes were natives from the river-banks, thieves who had come out to rob the expedition during the night. But there was one amongst the group charging down upon him who showed that he was mistaken. There was no chance of his being in error, for the brilliant moon lit the scene too well, and showed before him the half-caste James Langdon, who had so recently fled from the coast, carrying d.i.c.k's store of gold with him.

"Then he at least shall suffer now, whatever happens to the others,"

exclaimed our hero. Lifting his weapon again he covered the half-caste, waited till he felt sure of his aim, and pressed the trigger. Once again there was a shout, and one of the unfortunate natives who aided the rascally half-caste, leaped high into the air to fall next instant with a splash into the water.

"Rush! He is now unarmed! Cut the dog to pieces!" shouted James Langdon.

There was an ugly gleam in the eyes of the robbers as they heard the shout, and slight though d.i.c.k's knowledge was of the language of these Fantis, he recognised the meaning of the words. Quick as thought he threw his weapon down and drew his revolver. They were close to the tree now, and nothing but the darkness baffled them. But there was their disadvantage, and d.i.c.k made the most of it. Singling out the foremost he fired full in his face, and then, ere the report died down, pulled heavily on the bough and dragged himself and the native boat still farther into the shadow. A second later the weapon spoke again, and another of the miscreants fell. But still their commander urged them on.