CHAPTER THIRTY.
HOW I TALKED WITH MY NEW FRIEND.
As I heard the sound of the pursuit a horrible sensation of dread cameover me. I felt that we must be taken, and, in addition, vague ideas oftrouble and bloodshed floated through my brain, with memories of thefight in the gorge, and I shuddered at the idea of there being morepeople slain.
The effect was different upon Jimmy, the distant cries seeming to excitehim. He stopped every now and then to jump from the ground and strikethe nearest tree a tremendous blow with a waddy he had obtained from ourguide.
The latter checked him, though, laying a hand upon his arm as he said tome, after listening intently:
"You don't want to fight. These people are too strong. You mustescape."
"But you will come with us?" I said once more, with the vague fancycoming back that this was he whom I sought, but terribly changed.
He said something in reply in the savage tongue, stopped, and then wenton.
"I forget--I don't know. I am the doctor--a savage--what did you say?"
"Come with us," I whispered, and he bent his head in the dark; but mywords seemed to have no effect upon him, one idea seeming to be all thathe could retain, for he hurried me on, grasping my arm tightly, and thenloosed it and went on in front.
Jimmy took his place, gripping my arm in turn, and, whispering, showedhis power of observation by saying:
"Much good him. No black fellow. Talk like Mass Joe some time. Jimmytink um Mass Joe fader got dust in head. Don't know know."
"Oh no! impossible, Jimmy," I whispered back with emotion. "It cannotbe my father."
"No fader? All um white fellow got mud mud in head. Can't see, can'tknow know. No Mass Joe fader?"
"No, I am sure it is not."
"Then um white fellow. No black fellow. Tupid tupid. Don't know atall. No find wallaby in hole. No find honey. No kedge fis. Tupidwhite fellow all a same, mud in um head."
"He seems strange in his head," I said.
"Yes. Iss mad mad. No wash um head clean. Can't tink straight up andown ums like Jimmy."
"But he is saving us," I said. "Taking us to our friends."
"Jimmy no know. Jimmy tink doctor somewhere right long--big hill. Gibblack white fellow topper topper make um tink more."
"No, no," I whispered, for he had grasped his waddy and was about toclear our guide's misty brain in this rough-and-ready way. "Be quietand follow him."
Just then our guide stopped and let me go to his side.
"Fever--my head," he said softly, and as if apologising. "Can't think."
"But you will come with us?" I said. "My friend the doctor will helpyou. You shall help us. You must not go back to that degraded life."
"Doctor!" he said, as if he had only caught that word. "Yes, thedoctor. Can't leave the people--can't leave him."
"Him!" I said; "that boy?"
"Hush! come faster." For there were shouts and cries behind, and hehurried us along for some distance, talking rapidly to me all the whilein the savages' tongue, and apparently under the impression that Iunderstood every word, though it was only now and then that I caught hismeaning, and then it was because they were English words.
After catching a few of these I became aware, or rather guessed, that hewas telling me the story of his captivity among these people, and Itried eagerly to get him to speak English; but he did not seem to heedme, going on rapidly, and apparently bent on getting us away.
I caught such words as "fever--prisoner--my head--years--misery--despair--always--savage--doctor"--but only in the midst of a longexcited account which he said more to himself. I was at last payinglittle heed to him when two words stood out clear and distinctly fromthe darkness of his savage speech, words that sent a spasm through meand made me catch at his arm and try to speak, but only to emit a fewgasping utterances as he bent down to me staring as if in wonder.
The words were "fellow-prisoner;" and they made me stop short, for Ifelt that I had really and providentially hit upon the right place afterall, and that there could be only one man likely to be afellow-prisoner, and that--my poor father.
It was impossible to flee farther, I felt, and leave him whom I had cometo seek behind.
Then common sense stepped in and made me know that it was folly to stay,while Jimmy supplemented these thoughts by saying:
"Black fellow come along fas. Mass Joe no gun, no powder pop, nochopper, no knife, no fight works 'tall."
"Where is he?" I said excitedly, as I held the arm of our guide.
"Blacks--coming after us."
He talked on rapidly in the savage tongue and I uttered a groan ofdespair.
"What um say, Mass Joe?" whispered Jimmy excitedly. "Talk, talk, pollparrot can't say know what um say. Come along run way fas. Fightnunner time o," he added. "Black fellow come along."
He caught my arm, and, following our guide, we hurried on through thedarkness, which was so dense that if it had not been for the wonderfuleyesight of my black companion--a faculty which seemed to have beenacquired or shared by our guide--I should have struck full against thetrunk of some tree. As it was, I met with a few unpleasant blows on armor shoulder, though the excitement of our flight was too great for me toheed them then.
I was in despair, and torn by conflicting emotions: joy at escaping andat having reached the goal I had set up, misery at having to leave itbehind just when I had found the light. It might have been foolish,seeing how much better I could serve him by being free, but I felt readyto hurry back and share my father's captivity, for I felt assured thatit must be he of whom our guide spoke.
We were hurrying on all this time entirely under the guidance of thestrange being who had set us free, but not without protests from theblack, who was growing jealous of our guide and who kept on whispering:
"No go no farrer, Mass Joe, Jimmy fine a doctor an Mass Jack Penny. Hicome along Jimmy now."
He was just repeating this in my ear when we were hurrying on faster,for the sounds of our pursuers came clear upon the wind, when our guidestopped short and fell back a few paces as a low angry growl saluted himfrom the darkness in front and he said something sharply to us in thenative tongue.
His words evidently meant "Fall back!" but I had recognised that growl.
"Gyp!" I cried; and the growling changed to a whining cry of joy, andin an instant the dog was leaping up at my face, playfully biting at myhands, and then darting at Jimmy he began the same welcomingdemonstrations upon the black.
"Mass Joe, Mass Joe, he go eat up black fellow. Top um away, top umaway."
"It's only his play, Jimmy," I said.
"Him eat piece Jimmy, all up leggum," cried the black.
"Here, Gyp!" I cried, as the dog stopped his whining cry of pleasure,but growled once more. "Here," I said, "this is a friend. Pat hishead, sir, and--, where is he, Jimmy?"
"Black white fellow, Mass Joe?"
"Yes, yes, where is he?"
"Gone 'long uder way. Run back fas fas. Fraid o Gyp, Gyp send um way."
"Stop him! Run after him! He must not go," I cried.
I stopped, for there was a low piping whistle like the cry of a BlueMountain parrot back at home.
"Jack Penny!" I gasped, and I answered the call.
"Iss, yes, Mass Jack Penny," cried Jimmy, and Gyp made a bound from myside into the darkness, leaving us alone.
We heard the crash and rustle of the underwood as the dog tore off, andI was about to follow, but I could not stir, feeling that if I waitedour guide might return, when, in the midst of my indecision, the whistlewas repeated, and this time Jimmy answered.
Then there was more rustling, the dog came panting back; and as therustling continued there came out of the darkness a sound that made myheart leap.
It was only my name softly uttered, apparently close at hand, and I madea bound in the direction, but only to fall back half-stunned, for I hadstruck myself full against a tree.
I just rememb
er falling and being caught by some one, and then I feltsick, and the darkness seemed filled with lights.
But these soon died out, and I was listening to a familiar voice thatcame, it appeared, from a long way off; then it came nearer and nearer,and the words seemed to be breathed upon my face.
"Only a bit stunned," it said; and then I gasped out the one word:
"Doctor!"
"My dear Joe!" came back, and--well, it was in the dark, and we were notashamed: the doctor hugged me to his heart, as if I had been his brotherwhom he had found.