CHAPTER THIRTY.
THE REVERSE OF CIRCUMSTANCES.
"The worst headache I ever had," said Jack Meadows to himself, as he laywith his eyes close shut, and in terrible pain; and then, with his browthrobbing, and a miserable sensation of sickness making his headconfused, he began thinking, as a lad who has been brought in contact agood deal with a medical man would think, of the causes of his ailment,and what he had eaten that so disagreed with him, while he mentallyresolved that, however good it was, he would never be tempted intotasting it again.
He might have added--till next time, but he did not. For just then inhis weariness, pain, and mental confusion it seemed to him that some oneelse was suffering too, and in a similar way, for he heard a low, dismalgroan, and a voice muttered--"Oh, my poor nut." Jack's eyes sprangopen, and apparently let light into his brain, for in one glance he sawmore than he had ever seen before in so short a glimpse.
For he had a full comprehension of his position, while the detailsthereof fixed themselves like an instantaneous photograph upon his mind.The mental agony chased away the physical, and he gasped as he realisedthat he was bound hand and foot with green rotan cane; that Ned was in asimilar condition lying alongside, but with his face away; that theywere in an opening on the mountain side shut in by rocks and trees; andworst of all, that a few yards away a party of about twenty blacks offierce aspect, and their hair mopped out with gum till each savage'scoiffure was bigger than a grenadier's cap, were seated chatteringtogether and feasting upon some kind of food which they had beenroasting at a fire made among the stones.
The peculiar odour of burnt flesh sent a thrill of horror through him,and made a heavy dew of perspiration break out upon his brow at thethought of what probably was to follow, and for a time he felt as if hemust shriek aloud. But he remained silent, though he did strugglefiercely to free his hands and feet from their bonds.
How these people had come there was a puzzle, but he was bound toconfess that it was no dream. They had evidently landed on the island,prepared a fire, and cooked their food, which certainly was not fish,and they had surprised him and Ned, coming behind and stunning them byblows of the war-club each savage carried stuck through the band he woreabout his waist.
One of Jack's first thoughts was, Had they surprised the doctor and thefour men with him as well?
As this thought occurred to him he searched the group eagerly, but therewas no sign of any plunder, and certainly he and Ned were the only twoprisoners, so there was some hope of their being rescued as soon as theywere missed. They were five, and Doctor Instow would not hesitate amoment about attacking--how many were there?
He counted twice over, and then, with his head still sufficientlyconfused to make the task difficult, he counted again, to find thatthere were more than he had thought at first, several being flat onchest or back, while two, like the Irishman's little pig, would not liestill to be counted.
His further thoughts were put an end to by a low groan from hiscompanion in misfortune, who suddenly made an effort and rolled himselfover so that he lay face to face with his young master.
"Oh, I say, sir," he whispered, with a look of horror in his eyes,"ain't this awful!"
Jack nodded.
"My wristies and ankles are nearly cut through."
"So are mine."
"Have they got your gun as well as mine?"
Jack nodded, keeping his eyes on the lithe, shiny bodies of the hungryblacks the while, but they were too much intent upon feasting to takeany notice of their prisoners.
"They must have fetched me an awful crack on the head, sir. Did theyhit you too?"
"Yes, my head aches horribly, Ned. Look, there are our guns standing upagainst the rock with their spears."
"And bows and arrows too, sir. Ugh! gives me the shivers. Poisoned!"
"Ned, do you think we could get at our guns and make a dash to escape?"
"What, and risk the arrows?"
"Yes. Once we could get amongst the trees we should have as good achance of getting away as they would of catching us."
"Don't know so much about that, sir. They ain't got no clothes to catchin the thorns and creepers."
"But you'll try?"
"Try, sir! I should think I would; only I'd wait till it got darkfirst."
"By that time we may not be alive, Ned."
"Oh yes, we shall, sir. If they'd been going to kill us they wouldn'thave taken the trouble to tie us like this."
"You are saying that to cheer me up, Ned," whispered Jack.
"No, sir, 'strue as goodness I ain't. It's just what I mean. But I'mready to do anything you do if I can. Legs hurt you, sir, where they'retied?"
"Horribly, Ned."
"So do mine, sir, and so does one hand and wrist. T'other don't seem ofany consequence at all. It's ever so much number than it was before, sothat it don't ache a bit."
They lay there for some time watching the blacks, who kept on eating asif they would never leave off. Every now and then one went round to theback of the stones which formed their rough fire-place, and helpedhimself to more, returning to sit down and go on eating with thecustomary result. Thoroughly glutted at last, first one and thenanother sank back and went to sleep where he had sat eating, till notone seemed to be on the watch, and Jack looked full in the eyes of hiscompanion in misfortune, questioning him.
"I'd wait just a bit longer to let 'em get off sound, sir," said Nedsoftly; and seeing the wisdom of the advice, Jack waited with everynerve on the strain. But there was no sound to be heard, and he took itfor granted that the blacks had dragged or carried them for somedistance, right away from the track taken by the doctor. As he examinedthe place more attentively, it seemed as if this was a spot which hadbeen used as a camp before, for the bushes and trees were disfigured byflame and smoke, and the stones and rock which rose up like a wall wereutterly bare of grass, lichen, and creeper.
Then as he lay he began to reason out matters a little more, till, rightor wrong, he came to the conclusion that this must be a hunting partylanded on the island to pursue the droves of pigs, one of which they hadkilled, cooked, and eaten.
He felt lighter-hearted as he thought this, for ugly ideas had creptinto his mind and made him shudder with horror.
That this was the true reason for the blacks being there he felt moreand more convinced, and this meant that there must be another openingthrough the reef somewhere unnoticed during their cruise round theisland, so that if an examination had been made then, a canoe would befound run up on the sands waiting for their return.
This point reached, Jack whispered suddenly to Ned--
"Do you think they have tied us up like this so as to take us down to acanoe?"
"Yes, they've made us prisoners to take us away somewhere. That's whatI think, sir."
"Yes, and that's what I think, Ned. Now look carefully all round, andsee if you can make out whether any one is watching."
"Can't get my head up, sir," whispered the man after a pause, "but asfar as I can make out they're all fast asleep."
"Then let's try to get away."
"Yes, sir; but how?"
"Do as I do. I'm outside, and the ground slopes down from here. I'llstart and you follow."
"But I'm tied wrists and ankles, sir. I can't stir."
"Yes, you can. Don't whisper so loud. I am going to roll myself overslowly, and keep on down that slope till I'm a little way off. Then Ithink we can get our knives out. I can get yours, or you can get mine.Or did they take yours?"
"No, sir. It's in my pocket all right; I can feel it against me."
"Then, ready. It's of no use to wait longer. I'll start, and you liestill and watch. If they don't notice my moving, then you can come."
"No, sir, we go together or we don't go at all. I'm not going to liestill and let you be caught and knocked about perhaps."
"There's no time for arguing, Ned. Do as I tell you. There, I'm off."
Ned drew his breath hard, an
d raised his head a little to note whetherhis young master's movements were heard, but though the growth rustledand crackled a little not a savage stirred, and Jack went on rollinghimself over and over, suffering pretty sharp pain from his bonds, butsetting it at nought, and struggling on till well down out of sight ofthe rough camp.
Then he stopped and waited for Ned during what seemed to be quite an agebefore the man joined him, breathing laboriously, and then they laylistening, but all was still.
"Easy enough to escape, sir, if you make up your mind to it."
"But we have not escaped yet, Ned," whispered Jack. "We ought to havewaited till it was dark. Now then, I'll creep close to you. Try andput your hand in my pocket and take out the little knife I have there."
It was harder to do than either of them had anticipated, and Nedsuffered agony in one wrist as he strained to get at the knife with onehand, while the other was always in the way and kept it back. At lastthough he was successful and held it in triumph, but there was somethingmore to do, for a closed blade was as bad as nothing.
Still they say "where there's a will there's a way." Certainly therewas will enough here, and by degrees Ned worked himself along so that hecould hold the little clasp-knife to Jack's lips. These parteddirectly, so did his firm white teeth, and closed upon the blade, whileNed drew at the handle, with the result that the blade was opened alittle. Then it was drawn from between Jack's teeth, and closed with asnap, when the work had to be gone over again.
This time, trembling with excitement and dread lest at any moment theblacks might miss them, Jack closed his teeth with all his might uponthe narrow portion of the blade awkwardly offered to him, held on at therisk of the ivory breaking, and Ned drew the handle away slowly, withthe result that the strength of the spring was mastered, the knife halfopened, and this done the rest was easy.
Ned paused for a few moments to wrench his head round and gaze up theslope toward the savages' camp, then turning to Jack he laid the bladeflat upon the back of his hand, and forced it under the thin cane whichbound his wrists, having hard work to do it in his hampered positionwithout cutting his companion's hands.
"Now, sir," he whispered, "I'll turn the blade edge outwards, and youmust work yourself up and down against it. Try now."
Jack made an effort, which hurt his wrist horribly without doing theslightest good.
"That won't do, sir," whispered Ned. "I can't help you half so much asby holding still. Now try again, not jigging as you did before, butgiving yourself a regular see-saw sort of swing. Now then 'fore theywake. Off you go."
It was agony. The back of the knife-blade seemed to be cutting bluntlydown upon his wrist-bones, but setting his teeth hard, Jack forcedhimself downward and drew back.
"That's the sort, sir. Don't do much, but it's doing something. If Ihad my hands free I could soon cut the withes. Keep it up."
Setting his teeth harder, Jack kept on the sawing movement, apparentlywithout avail, but the pain grew less as the edge of the blade cut intothe cane.
"It's of no use, Ned," whispered the lad. "Let's try to undo the knotswith our teeth. I'll try on yours first."
"You keep on sawing," said the man in a low growl, and the words came sofiercely that Jack involuntarily obeyed, and the next minute, to hisgreat surprise, there was a faint cracking sound; one strand of the caneband was through, and the rest uncurled like a freed spring.
"Hah! I thought so," said Ned with a low chuckle of satisfaction. "Nowcatch hold of the knife and cut the band round your ankles."
"I can hardly feel the handle," muttered Jack.
"You will directly. Look sharp, sir, sharp as your knife."
"Yes," said Jack, "but I'm going to cut your wrists free first."
"No, no, sir; your legs."
Jack set his teeth again as hard as when he was holding the back of theknife-blade, and in response he took hold of Ned's hand with his leftand applied the edge across the cane which held the poor fellow'swrists, and in a clumsy fumbling way began to saw downward.
"Mr Jack, Mr Jack!" whispered the man excitedly, "you shouldn't, youshouldn't! I wanted to get you cut loose first."
"You hold your tongue and keep still," said the lad. "I don't want tocut your wrist. Steady. Oh, how numb and helpless my hands feel."
"They cut well enough, sir," said Ned with a laugh, as the outer turn ofthe cane band was divided, and once more the tough vegetable cord openedlike a spiral string.
"That's your sort, Mr Jack, sir. Give me hold of the knife. My turnnow."
"No, no, my hands are getting better. Rub your wrists while I cut yourankles free."
For answer Ned made a dash at the knife, but Jack avoided him, andforgetting everything in his desire to set his companion at liberty, hebegan sawing away at his ankles, while Ned thrust his hand into his ownpocket and drew out his knife, to begin operating directly after uponJack's bonds, with so much success that he was able to free him first.
His own were at liberty though directly after, and then they lay pantingand perfectly still.
Jack was the first to speak.
"Now then," he said, "shall we crawl up and try and get our guns?"
"And make one of them wake and tap us both again on the head. No, sir,that won't do. Soon as you feel that you can move, crawl right away inamong the bushes, and I'll follow. Have you got any hands and feet?because I feel as if I hadn't."
"Mine are terribly numb, Ned, but we'll start at once. It will do memore good to work them than to rest them. Which way?"
"Downwards, because it's more easy. Then go into that hollow ditch-likebit."
"But it goes upward."
"Never mind, take it, and we shall be out of sight. It will be best.They're sure to think we've made for the sea. Why, how dark it'sgrowing. Didn't know it was so late."
Jack said nothing, but began to crawl away as fast as his tingling,helpless limbs would allow, feeling that so long as they got away fromtheir captors it did not so much matter which direction they took. Heturned his head from time to time to see if Ned was all right, and foundthat he was lamely struggling on after him, but always gave him a cheerylook.
Jack followed the rugged little ditch-like place, which had evidentlybeen carved out by one of the rivulets which ran down from the mountain,but after following it some time and turning to look back at Ned, hesuddenly dropped flat on his face and began to crawl out of it, andtoward the shelter of the forest, which came close up.
"What's the matter?" said Ned.
"Don't lift your head; creep as flat as you can, and let's get among thebushes."
"That's right enough; but why? It won't be such good going."
"We've been crawling higher and higher," said Jack, "and when I turnedto see how you were getting on, I looked down over your shoulder, on tothe smoke of the fire, and the blacks were lying about it, and just atthat moment one of them jumped up, and then all the rest followed, andthey must have missed us!"
"Shall we get up and run then?"
"No, no, they may not come this way. Hark! what's that?"
"Wind. Why, I didn't see it coming, only thought it was evening. We'rein for a storm."
"Never mind, if it will only keep them from following us, Ned."
They struggled on, finding their limbs less helpless. Minute by minute,and just before plunging into the darkness beneath the trees, Jackturned to raise his head slightly, and to his great delight saw ten ortwelve of the blacks far below the smoke of their camp, and evidentlydescending the mountain slope, but the next instant his hopes werecrushed, for there in full pursuit, coming along the stony hollow upwhich they had crawled, was another party of the enemy.
"In with you, Ned," he whispered, as he dropped down again to creep intothe dense growth which swallowed him like a verdant sea, while beforethey had penetrated many yards the gloom beneath the spreading brancheswas lit up by a flash of lightning. The next minute the flashes came soquickly that the forest seemed turned i
nto one vast temple, whose blackpillars supported a ceiling of flame, and as the deafening detonationsshook the earth around them, they were glad to crouch as quickly as theycould in a recess formed at the foot of a gigantic tree which sent outflat buttresses on every side, more buttresses passing down into roots.
They were none too soon, for the storm was, brief as the time had been,now in full force; the rain dashed and swept in amongst the groaningtrees, and the noise and confusion were deafening, and made the moreawe-inspiring by the lashing of the branches as they were driven hereand there by the wind.
"What's that, sir?" cried Ned, with his lips to his companion's ear, fora tremendous crash had succeeded a roar of thunder.
"Tree gone down."
"Oh!" said Ned, pressing Jack close up into the recess. "Well, so longas it ain't this one I suppose we mustn't grumble. But I'd rather haveundressed myself before I took my bath, sir, wouldn't you?"
"Oh, how can you talk like that!" shouted Jack.
"'Cause I feel so jolly and satisfied," said Ned, with his lips again toJack's ear. "A bit ago it was all over with us, going to be took andtied up again, sir. P'r'aps to be taken away and fatted and eaten. Nowthere's nothing the matter, only it's a bit dark. Don't seem, sir, asif I'm doing any good in trying to be your umbrella. You are a littlemoist, I suppose, sir?"
"Moist, Ned! I'm soaking; I can feel the water running down into myboots."
"Oh, never mind, sir. We'll have a good wring out as soon as thestorm's over. But my word, I never saw lightning like this before, andnever felt it rain so hard."
"Nor thunder so loud," cried Jack. "It is terrible. Hush! hark atthat!"
"Water, sir, running down this way."
"Shan't be washed away from here, shall we, Ned?"
"No, sir, I think not. Seems to me that it's coming down that bit of aditch we crawled up."
It was: the dry, stony bed having been filled in a few minutes six feetdeep by a raging torrent, which was constantly being augmented by scoresof furious rills, the upper portions of the mountain having been struckby what resembled a swirling water-spout.
"I say, Mr Jack, I hope the yacht won't get washed away. Which side ofthat stony ditch were the niggers when you saw 'em last?"
"The other side."
"Then they won't come this. Now if they'd only take to thinking thatwe'd been washed down the side and out to sea, what a blessing it wouldbe for us! They wouldn't come and hunt for us any more."
"Don't--pray don't talk," cried Jack. Then to himself,--"Oh, if thestorm would only keep on."
But, as has been shown, it did not. Its violence on their side of themountain was soon exhausted, and it swept on and out to sea, leaving thefugitives standing where hundreds of rills came amongst the foot of thetrees on their way toward the stream overflowing the stony channel,while the leaves and boughs poured down a constant shower of heavydrops.
By degrees the force of the water abated, the slope being too steep forit to continue long within the regular channels which scored themountain side; and leaving their temporary asylum, the fugitives pressedon in the hope of reaching the ravine up which they had been makingtheir way that morning when they hung back and were left behind.
But it was in a bewildered way that they pushed on, till hours must havepassed, feeling that there was nothing for them but to try and find arefuge in some rude shelter such as they had several times encounteredby the side of one of the lava-streams, where in cooling the volcanicmatter had split up and broken, and formed wildly curious, cavernousplaces, any one of which would have been welcome.
Night was coming on fast; they dare not attempt to descend, and it beganto be plain that they would have to be content with a resting-place onsome stony patch from which the water had drained, when, as theystaggered along, just within the sheltering gloom of the huge foresttrees, they stumbled upon one of the ancient lava-streams, which stoppedtheir progress like some mountainous wall, and a very few minutes'search was sufficient to find the shelter they required, a dark,cavernous place whose flooring was of volcanic sand.
"It's dry as a bone, Mr Jack, sir," said Ned, after stooping down, "andas warm as warm. Well, sir, if this ain't sunshine after storm I shouldlike to know what is!"
Jack was too much exhausted to reply, and directly after he began tofollow his companion's example by stripping off and wringing hisclothes.
"Black sunshine this, Ned," he said.
"Well, sir, it is certainly; but you can't say it ain't warm. You putyour hand down on the sand."
"Yes; it's quite warm, Ned."
"Why, is this only the back-door into the burning mountain, sir?Because if so, will it be safe?"
"Ned, I'm too tired to talk. Pray be quiet and let me think. We mustbe safer than out upon the mountain side. Let's lie down and rest."