Part 49 (2/2)

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

”SEAFOWLS AHOY!”

Murray lost no time in making for the spot where the two men were in charge of the boat; but simple as the task appeared on the surface, it proved to be far otherwise.

He had told himself that he had only to follow in reverse the faintly-marked track taken by the black who had been their guide; and that he set himself to do, until he felt that he must be close to the stream that they had ascended; but if close by, it was by no means visible, and after making a cast or two in different directions without result, he pulled up short, the men following his example and looking at him wonderingly.

”It was just here that we left the boat-keepers, wasn't it, Tom?” he said.

”Don't seem like it, sir,” replied the man, ”'cause if it was just here, where is it?”

”But it must have been here,” cried Murray, growing irritable and confused.

”That's what I thought, sir,” said the man, ”but it don't seem to be nowhere near. What do you say, messmate?”

”I warn't a-looking out, lad,” replied t.i.tely. ”You see, I didn't take no bearings 'cause I says to mysen, 'Mr Murray 'll see to that,' and what I does was to foller with my eyes screwed back'ards over my shoulders like a she hare at the dogs.”

”Same here, messmate,” says Tom May. ”'Mr Murray took the bearings to begin with,' I says to myself, 'and I'll keep a sharp lookout for the enemy, who maybe 'll try to run us down.'”

”Then you neither of you feel that you can remember the black fellow's trail?” said Murray, speaking excitedly, and looking hard at the big sailor the while.

”Well, I can't answer for t.i.tely, sir,” said the man.--”Why don't you speak up like a man, messmate, and say what you know?”

”'Cause I can't, lad,” replied the man addressed. ”It warn't my watch, and I telled you I was too busy looking out for squalls. I dunno which way we ought to go, messmate. Don't you, Mr Murray, sir?”

”No, my lad; I've lost our bearings for a bit, but you two try off to right and left while I go straight on, and the first that comes upon the river holloa gently. Not loud, because it may bring the enemy down upon us. Now then, off with you, and when you shout, stand fast so that we may come and join you.”

”Stand fast it is, sir,” said Tom May, and without further hesitation the three separated and began to thread the dense cane brake, each fully expecting to come upon the windings of the overshadowed river at once.

But somehow every step seemed to lead the seekers into greater difficulties. It was plain enough that the river must be near, for their steps were in and out among the dense patches of cane and over soft spongy soil into which their feet sank slightly, the earth being springy and elastic; but though Murray expected to see the dense foliage open out and the brake look lighter from the presence of the river, he was disappointed again and again, and to all intents and purposes the stream had ceased to exist.

For some minutes, as Murray strode on, the steps of his companions were audible in two directions, and making up his mind to proceed in that being taken by May, he struck off so as to cross the man's track.

This seemed practicable enough for a while, and he went on till the brake began to grow more dense and he had to force his way through the thicket. Then to his disgust he found himself entangled in a little wilderness of th.o.r.n.y palms, out of which he had a hard struggle to free himself, and he stood at last, panting and exhausted, rubbing the bleeding spots beneath the rents in his garments which a.s.serted themselves plainly.

Murray rubbed himself and listened, and then listened and rubbed, but he could not hear a sound.

”Let me see,” he thought. ”Oh, how vexatious, just when we ought to be close to the boat and sending her down stream! Must be this way where I heard Tom May--if it was Tom May. Well, it doesn't matter if it was t.i.tely. Let's get to either of them, and then we'll hail the other.”

The lad hesitated for a few minutes longer, listening hard the while, and then more in pa.s.sion than in despair he started off in a bee line through the thick canes, hopefully now, for the earth felt softer than before.

”Must be right here; and as soon as I reach the river I have only to see which way the stream runs and follow it down to where the boat lies.

Oh, look sharp, old fellow,” he muttered, ”for this is horrible.”

He increased his pace, with the earth certainly growing softer, and then he pulled up short, turned and darted back, for as he stepped forward the soft spongy earth seemed suddenly to have grown h.o.r.n.y and hard and to heave up beneath his feet, convincing him that he had stepped upon one of the horrible alligators of the Western swamps. There was a violent splas.h.i.+ng, the reptile struck to right and left, mowing down the canes, and the mids.h.i.+pman, suffering from a sensation of horror and creepiness, stopped at last, panting.

”Why, that must be the direction of the little river,” he thought; ”and instead of following the horrible brute here have I run away; and now how am I to find the way that it pointed out? That's soon done,” he said, as he thought of the broken and crushed-down canes which must mark the alligator's track; and he began at once to search for what proved to be absent. There were bruised and trampled growths which he sprang at directly, but his reason soon pointed to the fact that they had not been made by the huge lizard he had started from its lurking place where it had crawled ash.o.r.e to watch for the approach of prey, but by himself in his flight, and though he tried over the swampy ground again and again, it was only to grow more confused, and at last he stopped short, baffled and enraged against himself.

”Oh!” he e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed, as he raised one foot to stamp it down heavily upon the earth, with the result that he drove it through a soft crust of tangled growth and sent up a gush of muddy, evil-smelling water, and then had to drag his shoe out with a loud sucking sound, while the foot he had not stamped was beginning to sink. ”It's enough to drive any one mad,” he muttered. ”Just as I am entrusted with something important I go and muddle it all, and the more I try the worse the hobble grows.”

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