CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.
HOW WE RETREATED AND WERE CAUGHT IN A TROPIC STORM.
Our black companion was quite right. The enemy had indeed gone, and thetime had come for us to get beyond their reach, for all at once itseemed to grow dark, and we stood farther out of our shelter, glad tofree our limbs from the cramping positions in which they had been for solong.
The doctor handed to each of us some chips of dried meat, bidding us eatas we walked. The bearers were well provided, and starting at once,with Ti-hi to lead and Aroo to cover our retreat, we stepped lightlyoff.
Our blacks knew well enough what was required of them now as to ourbaggage, and every package was taken from the breastwork, shouldered orplaced upon the head, and, watchful and ready to use our arms, we soonleft the scene of the fight behind.
The New Guinea savage Ti-hi as we called him, that being the nearestapproach I can get to his name, followed very much the course we hadtaken early in the day when we sought the waterfall, but left it alittle to our left and struck the river some few hundred yards above,pausing for a few minutes for his men to take breath, and then pointingout the course he meant to take.
It was a perilous-looking place, enough to make anyone shiver, and therewas a murmur amongst the blacks as they looked down at what seemed to bea mere shelf or ledge of rock low down near the black hurrying water ofthe river, which seemed to be covered with flowing specks of gold as thebrilliant stars were reflected from the smooth rushing stream.
Where we were to descend the water seemed to be about thirty feet below,but the rocky side of the river bed ran sheer up quite fifty feet as faras we could make out in the darkness, and I did not wonder at the murmurwe heard.
But Ti-hi's voice rose directly, now pleading softly in his own tongue,now in tones of command, and the murmur trailed off into a fewmutterings which resulted in the men beginning to descend.
"They were grumbling about having to go down there, weren't they, JoeCarstairs," said Jack Penny in a whisper.
"Yes," I said.
"And 'nough to make 'em," he said. "I don't like it; even Gyp don'tlike it. Look at him, how he's got his tail between his legs. I say,can't we wait till daylight?"
"And be shot by poisoned arrows, Penny?" said the doctor quietly."Come: on with you! I'm sure you're not afraid?"
"Afraid! What! of walking along there?" said Jack, contemptuously."Not likely. Was I afraid when I hung over the waterfall?"
"Not a bit, my lad; nor yet when you so bravely helped us to defendourselves against the savages," said the doctor quietly. "Come along.I'll go first."
The blacks were all on ahead save Aroo and Jimmy, who followed last, Ibeing next to the doctor, and Jack Penny and his dog close behind me.We had to go in single file, for the ledge was not above a yard wide inplaces, and it was impossible to avoid a shiver of dread as we walkedslowly along, assuming a confidence that we did not feel.
The path rose and fell--rose and fell slightly in an undulating fashion,but it did not alter much in its width as we journeyed on for what musthave been quite a mile, when we had to halt for a few minutes while thebearers readjusted their loads. And a weird party we looked as we stoodupon that shelf of rock, with the perpendicular side of the gorgetowering straight up black towards the sky, the summit showing plainlyagainst the starry arch that spanned the river, and seemed to rest uponthe other side of the rocky gorge fifty yards away. And there now,close to our feet, so close that we could have lain down and drunk hadwe been so disposed, rushed on towards the great fall the glassygold-speckled water.
I was thinking what an awful looking place it was, and wondering whethermy father had ever passed this way, when Jack Penny made me jump bygiving me a poke with the barrel of his gun.
"Don't do that," I said angrily, for I felt that I might have slipped,and to have fallen into that swiftly gliding water meant being borne atheadlong speed to the awful plunge down into the basin of foam intowhich I had looked that day.
"Oh, all right!" whispered Jack. "I only wanted to tell you that itmust be cramp."
"What must be cramp?" I replied.
"Don't speak so loud, and don't let the doctor hear you," whisperedJack. "I mean in one of my legs: it will keep waggling so and givingway at the knee."
"Why, Jack!" I said.
"No, no," he whispered hastily, "it ain't that. I ain't a bit afraid.It's cramp."
"Well, if you are not afraid," I whispered back, "I am. I hope, Jack, Imay never live to be in such an awful place again."
"I say, Joe Carstairs, say that once more," whispered Jack excitedly.
"I hope I may never be--"
"No, no, I don't mean that. I mean the other," whispered Jack.
"What, about being afraid?" I said. "Well, I'm not ashamed to own it.It may be cramp, Jack Penny, but I feel as if it is sheer fright."
"Then that's what must be the matter with my leg," said Jack eagerly,"only don't let's tell the doctor."
"Ready behind there?" said the latter just then.
"Yes," I said, "quite ready;" and I passed the word to Jimmy and Aroo,who were close to me.
"Let's get on then," said the doctor in a low voice. "I want to get outof this awful gorge."
"Hooray!" whispered Jack Penny, giving me such a dig with his elbow thatfor the second time he nearly sent me off the rocky shelf. "Hooray! thedoctor's frightened too, Joe Carstairs. I ain't ashamed to own it now."
"Hist!" whispered the doctor then, and slightly raised as was his voiceit seemed strangely loud, and went echoing along the side of the chasm.
Going steadily on at once we found the shelf kept wonderfully the samein width, the only variation being that it dipped down close to therushing water at times, and then curved up till we were fifteen ortwenty feet above the stream. With the walls on either side of theriver, though, it was different, for they gradually rose higher andhigher till there was but a strip of starry sky above our heads, and ourpath then became so dark that but for the leading of the sure-footedblacks we could not have progressed, but must have come to a halt.
I was wondering whether this gorge would end by opening out upon someplain, through its being but a gap or pass through a range of hills, butconcluded that it would grow deeper and darker, and bring us face toface with a second waterfall, and I whispered to the doctor my opinion;but he did not agree with me.
"No," he said, "the gorge is rising, of course, from the way in whichthe river rushes on, but there can be no waterfall this way or we shouldhear it. The noise of the one behind us comes humming along this rockypassage so plainly that we should hear another in the same way. Butdon't talk, my lad. Look to your footsteps and mind that we have noaccident. Stop!" he exclaimed, then, "Halt!"
I did not know why he called a halt just then in that narrow dangerousplace, but it seemed that he heard a peculiar sound from behind, anddirectly after Aroo closed up, to say that the enemy were following us,for he had heard them talking as they came, the smooth walls of therocks acting as a great speaking-tube and bearing the sounds along.
"That's bad news, my lad," said the doctor, "but matters might be worse.This is a dangerous place, but it is likely to be far more dangerousfor an attacking party than for the defenders. Our guns could keep anynumber of enemies at a distance, I should say. Better that they shouldattack us here than out in the open, where we should be easy marks fortheir arrows."
"I do wish they'd leave us alone," said Jack Penny in an ill-used tone."Nobody said anything to them; why can't they leave off?"
"We'll argue out that point another time, Jack Penny," said the doctor."Only let's get on now."
"Oh, all right! I'm ready," he said, and once more our little party setforward, the doctor and I now taking the extreme rear, with theexception that we let Aroo act as a scout behind, to give warning of theenemy's near approach.
And so we went on in the comparative darkness, the only sounds heardbeing the hissing of the swiftly rushing water as it swept on to
wardsthe fall, and the dull deep roar that came booming now loudly, nowfaintly, from where the river made its plunge.
Twice over we made a halt and stood with levelled pieces ready to meetan attack, but they only proved to be false alarms, caused by ourfriends dislodging stones in the path, which fell with a hollow sullenplunge into the rushing water, producing a strange succession of sounds,as of footsteps beating the path behind us, so curiously were theserepeated from the smooth face of the rock.
_Hiss-hiss_, _rush-rush_ went the water, and when we paused again andagain, so utterly solemn and distinct were the sounds made by thewaterfall and the river that I fancied that our friend Aroo must havebeen deceived.
"If the savages were pursuing us," I said, "we should have heard them bynow."
"Don't be too satisfied, my dear boy," said the doctor. "These peoplehave a great deal of the animal in them, and when they have marked downtheir prey they are not likely to leave the track till the end."
I did not like the sound of that word, "end." It was ominous, but Iheld my tongue.
"As likely as not," continued the doctor, "the enemy are creepingcautiously along within a couple of hundred yards of where we stand,and--"
"I say," cried Jack Penny eagerly, "it's rather cold standing abouthere; hadn't we better make haste on?"
"Decidedly, Penny," said the doctor. "Forward!"
"Yes, let's get forward," I said, and the doctor suddenly clapped hishand over my mouth and whispered:
"Hush! Look there!"
"I can't see anything," I said, after a long gaze in the direction bywhich we had come.
"Can you see just dimly, close to where that big star makes the blur inthe water, a light-coloured stone?"
"Yes."
"Watch it for a minute."
I fixed my eyes upon the dimly-seen rock, just where quite a blaze ofstars flecked the black water with their reflections, but for a time Isaw nothing. I only made my eyes ache, and a strong desire came upon meto blink them very rapidly. Then all at once the stone seemed darkerfor a moment, and then darker again, as if a cloud had come between theglinting stars and the earth.
It was so plain that a couple of the savages had glided by that stonethat we felt it would be best to remain where we were for the present,awaiting the attack that we knew must follow.
"We are prepared now," whispered the doctor, "and if we must fight itwould be better to fight now than have to turn suddenly and meet anattack on our rear."
The result was that we remained watching through the next painful hour,guns and bows ready for the first oncoming of the savages; but withterrible distinctness there was the washing sound of the river hissingpast the rocks, and the rising and falling musical roar of the distantcascade--nothing more!
Then another hour of silence in that awful chasm passed away, with theexpectation of being attacked every moment keeping our nerves upon thestretch.
How different it all seemed, what a change from the peaceful life athome! There I had led a happy boyish life, with the black for mycompanion; sometimes he would disappear to live amongst his tribe for afew weeks, but he always returned, and just after breakfast there wouldbe his merry black face eagerly watching for my coming to go with him to"kedge fis" in some fresh creek or water-hole that he had discovered; tohunt out wallabies or some other of the hopping kangaroo family peculiarto the land. Jimmy had always some fresh expedition on the way, uponwhich we started with boy-like eagerness. But now all at once,consequent upon my determination, my course of life had been changed,and it seemed that, young as I was, all the work that fell to my handwas man's work. Yesterday I was a boy, now I was a man.
That was my rather conceited way of looking upon matters then, and therewas some ground for my assumption of manliness; but if excuse be neededlet me say in my defence that I was suddenly cast into this career ofdangerous adventure, and I was very young.
Some such musings as the above, mixed up with recollections of mypeaceful bed-room at home, and the gentle face that bent over me to kissme when I was half asleep, were busy in my brain, when the doctor saidsoftly:
"This seems to be such a strong place, Joe, my lad, that I hardly likeleaving it; but we must get on. Go forward and start them. Tell themto be as quiet as possible."
His words seemed full of relief, and I started round to obey him, gladto have an end to the terrible inaction, when, to my utter astonishment,I found Jack Penny, who was behind me, sitting with his legs danglingover the edge of the rocky shelf, and apparently within an inch or twoof the water, while his shoulders were propped against the side of thechasm; his rifle was in his lap and his chin buried in his breast--fastasleep!
"Jack!" I whispered softly, utterly astounded that any one could sleepat a time like that; but he did not hear me.
"Jack!" I said again, and laid my hand upon his shoulder, but withoutresult.
"Jack!" I said, giving him an impatient shove.
"Get out!" he mumbled softly; and Gyp, whom I had not seen before,resented this interference with his master by uttering a low growl.
"Down, Gyp!" I said. "Here, Jack; wake up!" I whispered, and thistime I gave him a kick in the leg.
"I'll give you such a wunner, if you don't be quiet!" he growled. "Letme alone, will yer!"
"Jack! be quiet!" I whispered, with my lips to his ear. "The savagesare close at hand!"
"Who cares for the savages?" he grumbled, yawning fearfully. "Oh! I amso sleepy. I say, I wish you'd be quiet!"
"Wake up!" I said, shaking him; and Gyp growled again.
"Shan't!" very decidedly.
"Wake up directly, Jack! Jack Penny, wake up!"
"Shan't! Get out!"
"Hist!" whispered the doctor from behind me.
"Wake up!" I said again, going down on one knee so that I could whisperto him.
_Snore_!
It was a very decided one, and when I laid my gun down and gave a tug athim, it was like pulling at something long and limp, say a big bolster,that gave way everywhere, till in my impatience I doubled my fist and,quite in a rage, gave him, as his head fell back, a smart rap on thenose.
I had previously held him by the ears and tapped the back of his headagainst the rock without the slightest effect; but this tap on the nosewas electric in its way, for Jack sprang up, letting his gun fall, threwhimself into a fighting attitude, and struck out at me.
But he missed me, for when his gun fell it would have glided over theedge of the rocky shelf into the stream if I had not suddenly stoopeddown and caught it, the result being that Jack's fierce blow went rightover my head, while when I rose upright he was wide awake.
"I say," he said coolly, "have I been asleep?"
"Asleep! yes," I whispered hastily. "Here, come along; we are to getforward. How could you sleep?"
"Oh, I don't know!" he said. "I only just closed my eyes. Why, here'ssomebody else asleep!"
Sure enough Jimmy was curled up close to the rock, with his hands tuckedunder his arms, his waddy in one fist, a hatchet in the other.
Jack Penny was in so sour a temper at having been awakened from sleep,and in so rude a way, that he swung one of his long legs back, and thensent it forward.
"Don't kick him!" I said hastily; but I was too late, for the blackreceived the blow from Jack's foot right in the ribs, and starting upwith his teeth grinding together, he struck a tremendous blow with hiswaddy, fortunately at the rock, which sent forth such an echoing reportthrough the gully that the doctor came hurriedly to our side.
"What is it?" he said in an anxious whisper.
"Big bunyip hit Jimmy rib; kick, bangum, bangum!" cried the blackfuriously. "Who kick black fellow? Bash um head um! Yah!"
He finished his rapidly uttered address by striking a warlike attitude.
"It's all right now," I whispered to the doctor. "Come along, Jimmy;"and taking the black's arm I pushed him on before me, growling like anangry dog.
"All right!" the doctor said. "Yes, for our
pursuers! Get on asquickly as you can."
I hurried on now to the front, giving Ti-hi his order to proceed, andthen signing to the bearers to go on, I was getting back past them alongthe narrow path, and had just got by Jimmy and reached Jack Penny, whenthere was a flash, and a rattling echoing report as of twenty riflesfrom where the doctor was keeping guard.
I knew that the danger must be imminent or he would not have fired, andpassing Jack Penny, who was standing ready, rifle in hand, I reached thedoctor just as there was another flash and roar echoing along the gully.
"That's right, my lad!" he whispered; "be ready to fire if you see themcoming while I reload."
I knelt down, resting my elbow on my knee, and found it hard work tokeep the piece steady as I waited to see if the savages were coming on.
I had not long to wait before I distinctly saw a couple of dimly-seenfigures against the surface of the starlit water. I fired directly, andthen again, rising afterwards to my feet to reload.
"Now, back as you load, quickly!" whispered the doctor, and he caughtAroo by the shoulder and drew him back as half a dozen arrows camepattering against the rock over our head and fell at our feet.
"Back!" whispered the doctor quietly; "we must keep up a running fight."
"Here, hold hard a minute!" said Jack Penny aloud; "I must have a shotat 'em first."
"No: wait!" cried the doctor. "Your turn will come."
Jack Penny uttered a low growl in his deep bass voice, which wasanswered by Gyp, who was getting much excited, and had to be patted andrestrained by angry orders to lie down before he would consent to followhis master in the hurried retreat we made to where Ti-hi and his menwere waiting for us. Here we found the shelf had widened somewhat, andsome pieces of rock that had fallen offered shelter from an attack.
As we joined them the men, who had laid down their loads, prepared todischarge a volley of arrows, but they were stopped, as it would havebeen so much waste.
For the next six hours, till the stars began to pale, ours was onecontinuous retreat before the enemy, who seemed to grow bolder each timewe gave way and hurried along the edge of the river to a freshhalting-place.
We fired very seldom, for it was only waste of ammunition, and thedarkness was so great that though they often sent a volley of arrowsamongst us, not one of our party was hurt.
It was a fevered and exciting time, but fortunately we were not calledupon to suffer as we had during the attack upon the cave. Then we weremaddened almost by the heat and thirst. Now we had ample draughts ofcool refreshing water to fly to from time to time, or to bathe ourtemples where the shelf was low.
The savages made no attempts at concealing their presence now, and wecould hear a loud buzz of excited voices constantly in our rear, butstill they did not pursue us right home, but made rushes that kept us ina constant state of excitement and, I may say, dread.
"Do you think they will get tired of this soon, doctor?"
I said, just at daybreak, when I found the doctor looking at me in astrange and haggard way.
"I can't say, my lad," he whispered back. "We must hope for the best."
Just then Ti-hi came from the front to sign to us to hurry on, andfollowing him we found that he had hit upon a place where there was somehope of our being able to hold our own for a time.
It was extremely fortunate, for the coming day would make us an easymark, the pale-grey light that was stealing down having resulted inseveral arrows coming dangerously near; and though there were equaladvantages for us in the bodies of our enemies becoming easier to see,we were not eager to destroy life, our object, as I have before said,being to escape.
We followed Ti-hi, to find that the narrow shelf slowly rose now higherand higher, till at the end of a couple of hundred yards it gained itshighest point of some five-and-twenty feet above the river; while to addto the advantage of our position, the rock above the path stretched overit like the commencement of some Titan's arch, that had been intended tobridge the stream, one that had either never been finished, or hadcrumbled and fallen away.
In support of this last fanciful idea there were plenty of loose rocksand splinters of stones that had fallen from above, mingled with otherswhose rounded shapes showed that they must have been ground together bythe action of water.
I did not think of that at the time, though I had good reason tounderstand it later on.
The position was admirable, the ledge widening out considerably; we weresafe from dropping arrows, and we had only to construct a strongbreastwork, some five feet long, to protect us from attack by the enemy.In fact in five minutes or so we were comparatively safe; in tenminutes or a quarter of an hour our breastwork was so strengthened thatwe began to breathe freely.
By this time it was morning, but instead of its continuing to grow lightdown in the ravine, whose walls towered up on either side, the gatheringlight seemed suddenly to begin to fade away. It grew more obscure. Thesoft cool refreshing morning breeze died away, to give place to acurious sultry heat. The silence, save the rushing of the river, wasprofound, and it seemed at last as if it was to be totally dark.
"What does this mean, doctor?" I said, as I glanced round and notedthat the sombre reflection from the walls of the chasm gave the faces ofmy companions a ghastly and peculiar look.
"A storm, my lad," he said quietly. "Look how discoloured the waterseems. There has been a storm somewhere up in the mountains, I suppose,and now it is coming here."
"Well, we are in shelter," I said, "and better off than our enemies."
"What difference does that make?" grumbled Jack Penny in ill-used tones."They can't get wet through, for they don't wear hardly any clothes.But, I say, ain't it time we had our breakfast? I've given up mynight's rest, but I must have something to eat."
"Quick! look out, my lads! look out!" cried the doctor, as there was aloud yelling noise from the savages, whom we could plainly see nowcoming along the narrow path, while almost simultaneously there was avivid flash of lightning that seemed to blind us for the time, and thena deafening roar of thunder, followed so closely by others that it waslike one rolling, incessant peal.