Part 19 (2/2)

”We must follow their spoor, boys,” said Conrad Marais, with an anxious look; ”they cannot be far off, but we must not leave them unsupported in the jungle with such a lot of black villains flying about.”

Action was at once taken. The most experienced men dismounted and traced the spoor, with the unerring certainty of bloodhounds. But they shouted and searched in vain till night compelled them to desist.

Meanwhile Van Dyk and Considine had been captured by the Bergenaars.

When Charlie overtook the hunter, as already described, his ardent spirit and strong supple limbs enabled him to outrun his more ma.s.sive though not less enthusiastic companion. A short run soon convinced the hunter that there was no chance of a clothed white man overtaking a more than half-naked native in a th.o.r.n.y jungle. Indeed, he was already well convinced by former experience of this fact, and had intended to engage in pursuit for only a short time, in order if possible to obtain a flying shot at one or two of the robbers, but his young comrade's resolute continuance of the chase forced him to hold on longer than he desired.

”Stop! stop, young fellow,” he shouted with stentorian voice; ”stop, I say! You'll only waste your breath for no good,” he shouted.

But Considine heard him not. He had caught sight of one of the bandits who seemed to be losing strength, and, being himself sound in wind and limb, he recklessly determined to push on.

”I'll leave you to your fate,” roared Van Dyk, ”if you don't stop.”

He might as well have roared to a mad buffalo. Considine heeded or heard not.

”It won't do,” growled the hunter in a stern soliloquy as he stopped a moment to tighten his belt. ”Well, well, I little thought, Van Dyk, that you'd be brought to such a miserable fix as this, in such a stupid way too. But he mustn't be left to the Bushmen's tender mercies.”

The hunter's swart countenance grew darker as he spoke, for he well knew the extremity of danger into which the reckless youth was compelling him to run, but he did not hesitate. Instead, however, of following in the steps of one who was fleeter of foot than himself, he made a detour to the right. In an hour he reached a cliff under which, he knew, from the form of the valley up which the pursuit had been conducted, his young companion must needs pa.s.s. The route he had taken was a short cut. He had headed Considine and saw him, a few minutes later, in the gorge below, in full pursuit of the robber.

”H'm!” grunted Van Dyk, as he sat down on a rock and examined the priming of his great elephant-gun, ”I thought as much! The black scoundrel is just playing with him--decoying the young idiot on till he gets him surrounded by his comrades; but I'll spoil his game, though it's like to be the last shot I'll ever fire.”

A low quiet sigh escaped from the hunter as he watched the two men and awaited the proper moment.

He was evidently right in his conjecture, for, as they drew near the cliff, the black man looked over his shoulder once or twice and slackened his pace. The next moment he gave a shout which proved to be a signal, for two of the robbers sprang out from the bushes and seized Considine, almost before he had seen them. Vigorously he struggled, and would perhaps have thrown off both, had not the man he had been chasing turned and run to aid the others.

Quickly but steadily Van Dyk raised his gun and covered this man. Next moment the muzzle was struck aside, the ball flew harmlessly into the jungle, and the hunter was pinioned, overthrown, and rendered helpless by four of the robbers, who had been watching his motions all the time.

Van Dyk was not taken much by surprise. He knew that such danger was probable, and had done his best to avoid it. With that self-command which a life of constant danger in the woods had taught him, he bowed to the inevitable, and quietly submitted to be bound and led away.

Mean while Ruyter, for it was he who had been chased, came up in time to a.s.sist in securing his victim.

”What, Ruyter, is it you?” exclaimed Considine in amazement.

When the robber-chief became aware who he had captured, an expression of deep annoyance or regret crossed his face, but it quickly pa.s.sed into one of stern almost sulky determination, as he ordered the two men, in Dutch, to make the bonds secure. He deigned no reply to the prisoner's question. He did not even appear to recognise him, but strode on in front, while the two robbers drove the youth up into the rocky fastnesses of the mountains.

That night our hero found himself seated in the deepest recesses of a cavern by the side of his comrade Van Dyk. The arms of both were firmly bound behind their backs, but their legs were free, their captors knowing well that a scramble among such giddy and rugged heights without the use of the hands was impossible. In the centre of the cavern sat the robbers round a small fire on which some of them were cooking a few sc.r.a.ps of meat.

”A pretty mess you've led yourself and me into, young fellow!” said the hunter sternly.

”Indeed I have,” replied Considine, with a very penitent air, ”and I would give or do anything to undo the mischief.”

”Ja--always the same with wild-caps like you,” returned the other,--”ready to give anything when you've got nothing, and to do anything when you're helpless. How much easier it would have been to have given a little heed and shown a little common sense when you had the chance!”

There was a touch of bitterness, almost fierceness, in the hunter's tone, which, knowing the man's kindly nature, Considine could not quite understand.

”Do you know what them reptiles there are saying?” continued Van Dyk after a brief pause.

”No, their language is mere gibberish to me.”

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