Part 8 (1/2)

'Say, ask me something easier. Weeks, mebbe months.'

'These partners of yours,' resumed Ginger. 'Was one of them a tall, thin, jaundiced-looking bloke, with pale grey eyes and a big mouth, and the other a weedy-looking rat with hay-coloured hair and a wisp of moustache, stained with nicotine?'

Eddie uttered an exclamation of surprise. 'Say, that's them,' he answered quickly. 'I reckon you must have seen them?'

'You bet we have,' said Ginger bitterly, and then told their own story With more detail, including the events which had brought them into contact with the two white men in Tiger's secret village. He also mentioned that the disappearance of the party had caused the authorities some trouble.

'Say, now, what d'you know about that!' exclaimed Eddie when he had finished. 'Joe Warner and Silas Schmitt-they were my two precious partners-told me that there was a guy hereabouts who was boss of the whole works, but I didn't realise that he was such a big noise as you make out.'

'Your partners did, evidently,' put in Algy. 'They must have known that it was impossible for you to operate here without barging into him or his crowd, so it looks to me as if, having got you to finance them to the spot, they changed sides and left you in the lurch, knowing that you would never be able to get to the coast.'

'That's how it looks to me ' agreed Eddie. 'Can you talk the lingo these natives use?'

Not a word.'

'What do you reckon they'll do with us?'

Algy shook his head. 'I've no idea, but judging from their behaviour so far it won't be anything pleasant.'

'Then you reckon we haven't a chance of getting away?'

I wouldn't say that. Our chief is down the river, but he'll come back. Moreover, we've got a native servant about somewhere. It just happened that he was out of camp when the attack occurred, but when he gets back he'll guess what has happened, and he ought to be able to trail us. So, on the whole, things may not be as bad as they look.'

Eddie seemed to take encouragement from Algy's optimism. The conversation lapsed, Algy peering through one of the many flaws in the side of the hut in an endeavour to see what was going on outside. It seemed that the natives who had captured them were celebrating the event, with considerable noise.

He was still watching when, without warning, a volley ofshots rang out from the edge of the jungle. Several Indians fell. More shots followed. There were wild shouts, and the a.s.sembled Indians broke up in disorder, scattering and flying for their lives, some into the forest, others flinging themselves into their canoes and paddling away in a panic. Among these was the native who had been on duty at the door of the hut, so there was nothing to prevent those inside from leaving.

For a few seconds Algy hoped that the attack might have been launched by Biggles, who in some miraculous way had returned with a.s.sistance; but when Bogat appeared, a rifle under his arm, followed by his gang, his heart, and his hopes, sank.

Bogat saw the three white men at once, and his lips parted in a villainous leer. He covered them with his rifle, and in another moment they were surrounded.

It looks as if we've fallen out of the frying-pan into the fire,' murmured Ginger despondently.

'Who is this guy?' asked Eddie.

Briefly, Ginger told him. There was no time to go into details, for a rope was produced; the prisoners' hands were tied behind them, and a rope was pa.s.sed from one to the other.

Their captors, after setting fire to the huts, formed up in a rough column. Bogat took his place at the head of it, and the party moved off into the forest.

'Where do you suppose they're taking us?' asked Eddie.

I should say we're on our way to see the King of the Forest,' returned Ginger.

A burly half-caste flourished a whip, and put an end to further conversation.

The prisoners trudged on in silence through the green jungle.

II.

THE SNAKE.

As it transpired, Biggles had just enough petrol to reach the coast. He at once sought Carruthers, who was not a little surprised to see him, and made him acquainted with all that had happened. Carruthers was furious when he heard of the fate of the emergency petrol canoe; but when the real character of Chorro was revealed he was aghast, for he had always regarded him as a trustworthy servant. Unfortunately, nothing could be done about him at the moment, for by a coincidence Chorro had just applied for, and had been granted, three weeks' leave of absence.

'Where's he gone?' inquired Biggles.

up the river,' answered Carruthers frankly. 'He is supposed to have a bungalow somewhere, a matter of two or three days' journey. He's been up the river before.'

Biggles smiled grimly. 'It's more likely that he's making a visit to the Tiger, to report on the situation.'

Carruthers nodded. 'I'm afraid you're right,' he replied slowly. 'Never mind; I'll deal with the scoundrel when he comes back.'

If he does come back,' put in Biggles smoothly.

Carruthers gave him an odd look, but made no further comment on the subject. Instead, he asked Biggles what he intended doing.

'Have a bath, a square meal, fill up with petrol and take off again,' Biggles told him. 'I'm anxious to get back to the others.'

I still don't see how we're going to get hold of the Tiger and his crew,' remarked Carruthers, with a worried frown. 'I'd come back with you, but at the moment, with the Governor away, I can't leave-at least, not for any length of time.'

I must admit it isn't an easy proposition,' acknowledged Biggles. 'However, we're getting the hang of things, and sooner or later our chance will come.'

Further details were discussed, but nothing definite was arranged, and about two hours later, with full tanks, Biggles set off back up the river, relieved to see that the flood, which apparently had been caused by a local storm, had subsided.

He experienced a pang of uneasiness as he circled low over the camp and saw no sign of the others; but when he landed, taxied up to the bank and jumped ash.o.r.e, still without them putting in an appearance, his uneasiness turned to alarm. For a few minutes he stood still, occasionally calling, but when this produced no result he began to examine the ground more closely.

Actually there was nothing to show what had happened-not until, in the long gra.s.s, he found a broken arrow. Even then he hoped that the arrow might be an old one that had lain there for a long time; but when he looked at the fracture, and saw that it was recent, he knew it was no use deceiving himself. Indians had been to the camp; this was so obvious that he no longer marvelled at the absence of Algy and Ginger. He spent some time hunting about in the bushes, dreading what he might find, and breathed a sigh of relief when his fears proved groundless. 'They're prisoners,' he told himself, and that was had enough.

For once he was at a loss to know what to do for the best. He dismissed all thought of the Tiger. He was concerned only with Algy and Ginger, and, to a less extent, Dusky, whom he had left with them. Naturally, they would have to be rescued, but how he was to set about this in the jungle he could not imagine. No project that he could remember had seemed so hopeless.

Not for a moment did he relax his vigilance, for he realised that what had happened to the others might also happen to him. He lit a cigarette and tried to reconstruct the scene, and in so doing came up on the trail leading into the forest. This was a clue which he had not expected, for knowing that the Indians did most of their travelling by canoe, he had a.s.sumed that the attack had come from the river.

Now that he had something tangible to go on, he returned to the Wanderer, moored the aircraft securely to the bank and made it less conspicuous by throwing reeds and palm fronds over the wings. This done, he went to the cabin, selected a heavy Express rifle from the armoury, filled a cartridge-belt with ammunition and the pockets of his jacket with biscuits. Then, after a final glance round, he set off along the trail, which could be followed without difficulty.

He had not gone far when he was brought to an abrupt halt by a hoa.r.s.ely whispered '

Ma.s.sa.' He recognised the voice at once, but even so, his nerves tingled with shock.

'Dusky!' he called tersely. 'Where are you?'

Dusky dropped out of a tree and hurried to him.

'What happened?' asked Biggles shortly, wondering how the old man had escaped.

This Dusky soon explained. In mournful tones he related how he had gone into the forest to find food, a quest which-fortunately for him, as it happened-had taken him into a tree. The tree was at no great distance from the camp, and the sound of the a.s.sault had reached his ears. From his hiding-place he had watched Algy and Ginger being led away into the jungle. He apologised for not going to their rescue, but pointed out that, as the only weapon he had was a knife, he was in no position to take on a crowd of Indians.

This Biggles did not dispute. Indeed, when Dusky explained that he had remained in hiding, waiting for him to come back so that he could tell him what had happened, he congratulated him on his common sense.

I suppose you've no idea where the Indians have gone?' asked Biggles.

Dusky shook his head, saying that he did not know the district, but gave it as a matter of opinion that the Indian village would not be far away.