Part 86 (1/2)
”Nay, he arn't, Tom, lad, 'cause he's here,” came in the familiar tones.
”Say, Mr Roberts, sir, is that there Tom May talking, or has my wound made me a bit dillylerous. I wish you'd just say.”
”Is d.i.c.k Roberts there?” whispered Murray excitedly.
”I should say he was, sir, only I keep on going off giddy like.”
”But you ought to be right on ahead of Mr Anderson and the men,” cried Murray.
”There, I telled you, sir, Mr Roberts, sir,” said t.i.tely. ”I could feel like as we was somehow got into the wrong watch, and I did say so, sir.”
”Oh, bother!” cried Roberts. ”It was so dark, and my head was all of a swim. Well, never mind; let's get into our right place again. Where is it?”
”I dunno, sir. These here black chaps as is guiding us will show us right enough.”
”Hist! Hist!” whispered Murray. ”Can't you understand? We're the rear-guard of the column, Tom May and I, and the enemy is somewhere close behind. Haven't you got your men with you, and some blacks?”
”We had,” replied Roberts, ”but somehow we've got separated from them, or they've got separated from us; I don't know how it is. It's all through my wound, I suppose. Here, Murray, old chap, you'd better put us right again.”
”Will you hold your stupid tongue, d.i.c.k?” whispered Murray excitedly.
”Here, both you and t.i.tely follow me. Get behind them, Tom May, and look sharp, or we shall be too late.”
”Ay, ay, sir!” replied the big sailor; and Murray heard him throw his musket from one shoulder to the other before seeming to loosen his cutla.s.s in the scabbard, which the lad could only interpret as putting himself in readiness for an immediate encounter.
”Listen again, Tom,” whispered Murray.
There was a pause, and for a few minutes nothing broke the strange silence which reigned.
”Well?” whispered the middy impatiently.
”Well, sir, I can't make nothing of it,” replied the sailor.
”Not so loud, Tom.”
”All right, sir, but I don't think that was much of a pig's whisper.”
”Oh, nonsense! What do you make of it now?”
”Nowt, sir, only as we've got ourselves into a great hobble. I can't hear nothing of our chaps.”
”No; they've gone on, and we must overtake them and let Mr Anderson know that Roberts and t.i.tely have lost their way, and have doubled back so that we have met them.”
”Ay, ay, sir, that's the way; but how are we going to do it?”
”You take t.i.tely by the arm, and I'll hurry on Mr Roberts. Let's start at once.”
”Right, sir. Which way?”
”Follow Mr Anderson's track at once.”