Part 12 (2/2)

d.i.c.k could not believe his ears. He was already being dragged away, when Johnnie's voice broke upon his ear. Then a number of dark figures burst in upon his captors, and a fierce conflict began.

”Here I am. This way!” he shouted, as he struggled with the enemy.

”Here! Over here!”

The gallant fellows from the stockade raced after him, Johnnie being at their head. In his hands he held a rifle, and without doubt it was his frantic wielding of this weapon which saved the situation. With a crash the stock fell upon the head of the native who had hold of our hero, causing him to fall. Another movement and the same fate overtook another. There was a scream of alarm, a few heavy blows struck by the knives of the men, and d.i.c.k was free, unharmed, and in their midst, boiling over with gladness and exultation. They picked him up as if he had been a child, and bore him in triumph to the stockade.

”Bang de door,” said Johnnie, taking upon himself the command of the station. ”Now, yo men, jest put de ma.s.sa down--so. Not throw him down, silly!”

Utterly oblivious of the fact that the Ashanti gold-miners could not understand, he gave his commands in a tone of comical haughtiness which at another time would have caused d.i.c.k to roar with laughter. This was, indeed, a new side to Johnnie's character. But our hero was to learn more.

”Now man de walls, and shoot dem debils down,” shouted Johnnie, taking his rifle and running to an aperture. ”Dat so. You quite understand.

Den me see to ma.s.sa.”

He was delighted to have him back, safe and sound, and stood there wringing his hand till it seemed that he could never stop. However, d.i.c.k was a practical fellow, and it was a long time since he had been in the stockade.

”Food and something to drink, Johnnie, like a good fellow,” he cried.

”Run along and see what you've got, while I take a look outside. Now,”

he said, when he had reached the walls and had discovered the position of the chief of the miners, ”what is your report? Any sign of them?”

”They have gone back to their posts. We knew that they were watching, and we almost expected an attack. We were looking for you too, chief.

You can leave us to guard the place till you are ready to come back to the walls. Go and eat, for you must be hungry.”

d.i.c.k undoubtedly was, and fell to eagerly upon the good things which were placed on the folding wooden table in the hut. For Johnnie was general caterer as well as stoker, and in addition, it seemed, commander of the post at a pinch. He placed a bottle of water near at hand, some yams, and a cut of tinned beef, and on these our hero fell.

”Yo's make de most of dem water,” said Johnnie, as he watched his master drink, for it had been a hot day, and never a drop of fluid had d.i.c.k been able to touch. ”Make de most of him, for dere little more. De jars nearly dry, and where we fill dem again? So drink him to the velly bottom.”

”What! No water in the place! Run out already!”

No wonder that he was again dismayed, for d.i.c.k had such a young head upon his shoulders that he could not be expected in a matter of a couple of months or more to correct all the faults committed by his predecessor. True, the site of the stockade was excellent in nearly every respect, for it commanded a wide, open s.p.a.ce on every side, and could not be fired into from the crest above. It boasted a moderate amount of shade, for there was a small group of trees within the compound, and in addition, it enjoyed a delightful breeze, which kept it cool, and drove the fever away. It had its failings, however. It could not stand a siege, for the simple reason that it was perched well up above the stream in which the gold was washed, and there was no well. A store of water was carried up every day, and that store had disappeared with rapidity since the miners had taken post at the stockade.

”I ought to have thought of that before. We should have had a tank or something of the sort,” cried d.i.c.k, with vexation, quite forgetful of the fact that the nearest point at which such a thing could be obtained was Elmina.

”Yo's d.i.n.k him up and smack de lip,” said Johnnie. ”No use make fuss now dat dere no water left. Hab to leave den, dat's all. Get way into de forest.”

”And meet these two hundred Ashanti warriors. No, thank you, Johnnie.

Come, tell me how all this has happened. I was away in the forest, and thought I heard the alarm sounded. Then there were shots, and when I came to the clearing and could see, there were bodies lying around, and you were holding the enemy in check. I heard then that two hundred more are expected, and waited till a double ring was thrown round us. Then I came on. And that reminds me. It was a plucky rush you made, and just saved me. Thanks, very much.”

”Noding, ma.s.sa. We wait and we expect yo come. We guess you not seen by de rascal enemy, and we know yo not rush here when it light. De moon coming up. See um. Den we guess you come jest after it get dark. We get ready, and den rush. Simple as eatin'.”

”And about the alarm?”

”Not so simple,” was the candid answer. ”Johnnie seem to tink dere trouble coming. Eber since he meet de Ashanti war men he say, 'dere ruction ahead, dere goin' ter be smash up of de mine.' Johnnie look out from de hill when ma.s.sa gone, every single day, and sit dere waitin' wid de tom-tom. Lucky, too, ma.s.sa, for we not hab velly much time. Me see black chap come out of de tree, and den dat half-white man who fight us before. Johnnie beat de tom-tom till all de miners hear. Den he run to the stockade and pick up de rifle. He see first one and den all de men racing in, and after dem de enemy. Dey rush right up to de gate. But Johnnie stop um.”

The comical little fellow turned his eyes up to the moon and squinted at d.i.c.k. He threw his chest out, stood to his fullest height, and put on an air of dignity.

”How?” asked d.i.c.k.

”Like dis. De men run in de gate, and de last man bang um to and bolt um. Den we stand at the peephole and wait. Two of de rascal come runnin', and Johnnie take good aim. Bang! When me look 'gain both lying on de face, dead's muttin'.”

”And you took command of the stockade?”

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