Part 20 (2/2)

What do you say to going to bed?”

”Oh, I should love it,” he said, with such eagerness that Mrs

Cochrane was startled, and eyeing him critically she discovered he was now criot a touch of the sun,” was her thought

But she said nothing of her fear

Eustace was put into Bob's roo he looked at in it et away by hiood spirits He felt he was getting to the end of his powers, that in another minute the truth would tu he was also listening--listening--listening for the sound of hoofs that never caot into bed, for he could not sleep, he was so certain there must be bad news, as neither Mr

Cochrane nor his father returned

He ht, but it see one Every time he opened his eyes he ide awake in a minute to the remembrance of what had happened When he awoke at last to find the sun rising, he could lie still no longer, he was haunted by such restless thoughts He dressed and went downstairs into the open air

”Supposing Bob had gone off the track for so he andering about seeking it all night up to this veryhe had been waylaid and surrounded by black-fellows!--Sinkuhbourhood No, Eustace would not think of that--one white ainst a tribe of blacks: it was too terrible!

And yet supposing he had been, and no one found out!” Thoughts are sos

”I believe I will go for a ride,” he said to hio down to the creek--I won't cross it--but just as far as there, to see if they are in sight I can do that easily, and be in to breakfast”

He found a ot to saddle Bolter, then off he started down the slope across the river, and away over the uninteresting stretch of flatness till he again reached the river bank There he paused, staring towards thehe had experienced the day before It was the terrible dread that the depths of the woods , but in awful distress of ns of his father or Mr Cochrane; no sounds but those of nature They certainly could not have found Bob at Gairloch The only alternative seemed the scrub

Suddenly Eustace threw back his head, and in a shrill treble gave vent to a prolonged Australian ”coo-ee”

”If he is there,” argued the boy, ”of course he will answer How silly of me not to think of that before”

He could hardly believe his ears for joy, but there was instantly an answer--so faint that he only caught a bit of it; still he heard it

In wild exciteain came the reply, scarcely more distinct, and more like a cry than a coo-ee

”It coht Eustace ”He must be there, but awfully far off or ill, for that isn't like his voice What shall I do? I can't go back and fetch any one, because father said I was not to tell I daren't wait till father coet fainter and fainter Oh, Iout for help! If I could find him, if--if I could save hiain he sent out his piercing coo-ee, and this tih for him to decide its exact position

Without another h the river, and dashed helter-skelter towards the wood He thought nothing of the possibility of hi black-fellows He was going to Bob--that was the central idea Bob was in danger and called for help It was the fulfilreatest wish of Eustace's life to serve Bob

CHAPTER XI

BLACK-FELLOWS

In the exultation of the thought Eustace plunged into the scrub and rode on and on unheedingly, lost in dreams of the adventure before him Always he found Bob, always he rescued hi hair-breadth escapes

The as not dark but densely shady, with black distances It presently began to worry Eustace that it was iht line for the direction whence the answering cry had corowing tree stee for himself and Bolter There was no road, path, or even track to follow

”This will get , doubling back on his route, for about half an hour ”I guess I ought to have o back and start again”

He pulled Bolter up, sat back on his saddle, and looked round for the gleauide hi but an even monotony of dense distance, no matter where he turned