Part 14 (1/2)

”What is it, dear?” asked Elizabeth.

”In the bushes--a little brown face!” whispered Tommy, with trembling lips.

CHAPTER X

ANXIOUS DAYS

For a moment, under the shock of the startling piece of news, Elizabeth was tempted to seize her sisters by the hand and run. Tommy was so practical and unimaginative a young person that she could hardly have been altogether mistaken, and a ”little brown face,” if face it was, must belong to a native. But Elizabeth thought quickly, and even while her heart was galloping with nervous excitement, she made up her mind that to run away now was not the right course. A show of bravery was much more likely to serve them. If there really was a native in hiding, he would certainly have seen them, and to run or slink away now would merely provoke pursuit, in which the fugitives would be at a great disadvantage. Summoning all her courage, therefore, Elizabeth advanced towards the bush to which Tommy had pointed.

”Don't go, Bess,” implored Tommy in an agitated whisper, and Mary, as pale as a sheet, put an arm about the younger girl.

Elizabeth went straight on, looking carefully around.

”Is this it?” she asked quietly, turning towards her sisters, now several yards distant.

Tommy merely nodded; Mary murmured, ”How _could_ she do it?”

Elizabeth peered into the bush. There was no little brown face now, nor, though she went to and fro amongst the trees beyond, could she see any one, brown or white, lurking. She listened as the thought struck her that it might have been a monkey, and she had heard monkeys screaming and chattering in the Zoological Gardens in London; but there was no sound, not even the twitter or squawk of a bird.

Brave as she was in outward mien, Elizabeth, after a few minutes'

search, returned with hasty step to her sisters.

”My silly heart!” she said, with a faint smile, placing her hand to her side. ”I couldn't see anything. Tommy; don't you think you may have imagined it?”

”Just as you did before,” added Mary.

”I didn't!” cried Tommy. ”Why won't you believe me? I _did_ see a brown face; I am sure I did.”

”It is very strange,” said Elizabeth. ”We were here only a few seconds after you cried out; there wasn't much time for any one to get away.”

”You are both horrible,” said Tommy, her lips quivering. ”Any one would think I was a fool. I'll prove that I was right, whatever happens.”

With the courage of indignation she pulled Elizabeth towards the clump of bushes, and began to examine the soft mossy carpet.

”There!” she cried triumphantly, yet fearfully, pointing presently to a mark on the ground. Elizabeth stooped and made out two or three faint impressions of a foot smaller even than Tommy's. And then Tommy's fear returned in full force. With a little cry she dragged Elizabeth from the spot, and since nothing is so catching as fear even Elizabeth's courage gave way, and soon all three girls were running as hard as they could run towards the stream, and did not halt until they came to the boat.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”'THERE!' SHE CRIED TRIUMPHANTLY, YET FEARFULLY.”]

”Oh, dear, how ashamed I am!” panted Elizabeth, as they threw themselves down on the sand to rest.

”You were very brave,” said Mary. ”I couldn't have gone into those bushes for anything.”

”Perhaps they were marks of a monkey's feet,” said Elizabeth. ”How silly I was not to examine them more closely.”

”They weren't,” said Tommy. ”I saw them quite plainly. They were feet just like yours and mine, only tiny, wee things.”

”I wonder if the people here are dwarfs,” said Mary. ”There must be people. That's certain now.”

”If they are dwarfs they must be more afraid of us than we are of them,” said Elizabeth.