Part 8 (1/2)

His finger on such occasions would go to the trigger of his snider till d.i.c.k fidgeted and felt uncomfortable, for he was not far from the line of fire. He lay in the bows, a light bamboo in his hands, with which he every now and again sounded the bed of the river to make sure that there was sufficient water. A few minutes' gliding along in the shadows brought them to the spot where the action of the previous night had taken place, a spot instantly recognised by the figures lying about it.

For stretched in the sun were the victims of d.i.c.k's fire, as yet undiscovered by the river alligators. d.i.c.k shuddered, and transferred his gaze to the bush. Then, remembering Mr Pepson's words, he looked again. One poor wretch lay face down in the water, his body already almost covered with drifting mud, while his feet protruded on to the land. Close to him lay a second, still and dark, his limbs stretched to their fullest extent, while some paces away were three more of the attackers, all stark and dead.

”The reward of rascality,” cried Mr Pepson. ”A horrid sight, my friends; but then we might have been in their place, and war and battles are always horrid. How's the depth, d.i.c.k? Can you get ash.o.r.e?”

For answer our hero tried the sounding with his stick again, and then stood up. Taking his rifle he dropped lightly into the water and waded ash.o.r.e. Then he went to the figures lying about. They were all undoubtedly dead, and a glance satisfied him of that fact. At once he went on towards the bush, which at this point receded somewhat from the river, and presently something attracted his eye. It was a path leading into the forest, a path freshly broken and trodden, the one, no doubt, by which the robbers had fled.

”Leave it,” shouted Mr Pepson. ”You would be in the middle of the jungle, where all is dark, and we could not help you. Come back. We have learned all that we desired. There are five killed here, and one whom you shot in the first boat. But one moment. Do any of these fellows belong to our runaway crew?”

d.i.c.k retraced his steps slowly, and reluctantly looked at the bodies again. There was not the slightest doubt that they were the very men who had come from Elmina--all, in fact, save one, whose face was strange.

”Then James Langdon had others with him,” thought d.i.c.k. ”Somehow, I don't know why, I feel misgivings about that man. His memory haunts me.

What if he attacked us again!”

What if our hero had known that the ruffian whose name he mentioned was at that very moment within little more than a stone's-throw! That James Langdon had come down to the river-bank that morning, having left his lair in the forest just as the launch steamed away from her anchorage of the previous night! That he had watched with the eagerness and stealth of a fox, and had rubbed his hands with delight as he saw the son of the master he had robbed drop into the water! For this half-caste forgot that he himself was to blame for the existence which he now led, for the discomforts which he had now to put up with. He placed all the blame on d.i.c.k's shoulders.

”There he is!” he growled, as d.i.c.k waded towards the sh.o.r.e. ”But for his coming to the coast I should have been able to remain there, still unsuspected, and there, living in a good house, I could still have done this work for King Koffee. And I could have gained riches more quickly.

But we shall see. Ah! he is ash.o.r.e. If he steps nearer I will shoot him like a bird.”

He crouched in the underwood, while his hand went to the pouch at his waist. A growl of anger and disgust escaped him, for the revolver which he had carried was not there. He had no weapon but a large sheath-knife, which he carried at his hip.

”It will do as well, and it is silent,” he said to himself. ”He is coming. The young fool will walk into the trap, and this time I will not be flurried. He shall come on without a suspicion, and when he has pa.s.sed me I will leap on his back and there will be an end of the matter.”

His ferrety eyes gleamed with malice. He spat on the hand which was to hold the knife, and then gripped it with all his strength. His limbs arranged themselves till the man was poised on the tips of his toes and fingers, till he sat crouched in a position to spring upon the back of his unsuspecting foe. Then came the voice of the leader. d.i.c.k stared into the jungle till the half-caste thought he must be seen. Then he retired to the launch, inspected the faces of the slain, and went aboard.

”My luck!” growled James Langdon. ”But the chance will come again. Oh, yes, my friend, d.i.c.k Stapleton, you will be sorry one of these days. As for the men who have engaged you as their agent, they are fools. It would be better for them if they had never met you.”

He glared at the launch and her pa.s.sengers as she steamed away, and still continued to stare at them till they reached the far side of the Pra; for a thought had struck this ruffian.

”Why not?” he asked himself. ”They will be alone. There will be gold in plenty. Why should I not have my share of that or take all that they possess? If I have failed this time I shall succeed at the next attempt.”

The thought pleased him immensely, for his face lightened, the scowl left his forehead, and for a moment James Langdon looked as if he were not the villain he had proved himself to be. But he would not have deceived d.i.c.k Stapleton. Had our hero been able to see him there in the bush, he would have suspected the mischief that was brewing, and the misgivings which now filled his mind would have been vastly increased.

As it was, he and his friends went on their way up the river, and their adventure of the night almost forgotten in the pa.s.sing scenes, and in antic.i.p.ation of the pleasures before them.

CHAPTER SIX.

FOREST DANGERS.

Two days pa.s.sed without event as the steam launch made her way up the river Pra, and each day the stream narrowed. Indeed, the expedition was approaching the bifurcation of the river, and so far had not come upon the tributary which they were to ascend.

”We shall know it by two enormous cotton trees, one of which has fallen against the other,” sang out Mr Pepson that evening, as the anchor was dropped, and the trio sat down to their meal. ”Remember, two cotton trees, one of which is supported by its fellow. Is that not the description, Meinheer?”

”Good. Id is zad. I have never seen him, bud I know. Meinheer d.i.c.k shall hear how I come do find zis place. A native run away to Elmina and draw a map in ze sand wiz his doe. He said, 'over zere, plendy of gold, and mines close do ze riber.'”

”And you brought the tale to me,” interrupted Mr Pepson, ”with the result that we sent an agent, and after getting his report we obtained a concession, and set native gold-diggers to work. That's the secret of this mine, d.i.c.k. It's so close to the river that one can take machinery there, and the winding gear we have brought, though small, will be sufficient to tell us whether it is worth our while to bring more.

Transport is the main difficulty in this country, and if we have a river, why--”

”Zere is moch gold for all,” burst in Meinheer. ”Wid a riber we can reach ze mine and can dake our goods. Zen ze ground is clear. Id is rocky soil, and ze fever is nod gread.”

”Which reminds me. We must take precautions,” said Mr Pepson. ”I have brought ample supplies of quinine, and we must take a few grains every day. It is the only thing for an Englishman, or for any white man. But that is not the only precaution we must take against malaria. I have not lived in Sierra Leone all these years, nor travelled in many another fever-haunted country, without learning what to avoid. The cause of the fever is too doubtful for me to attempt to make a statement, but supposing it is the water, as the doctors say, then we must avoid unboiled or unfiltered water; and boiled water is certainly the safest.