CHAPTER XIII "A Sight which I shall Never Forget"

eewasuselessandChallengernotmuchbetter.Theonlytimetheygottogethertheygotslangin'becausetheycouldn'tagreeuponthescientificclassificationofthesered-headeddevilsthathadgotholdofus.OnesaiditwasthedryopithecusofJava,theothersaiditwaspithecanthropus.Madness,Icallit—Loonies,both.But,asIsay,Ihadthoughtoutoneortwopointsthatwerehelpful.Onewasthatthesebrutescouldnotrunasfastasamanintheopen.Theyhaveshort,bandylegs,yousee,andheavybodies.EvenChallengercouldgiveafewyardsinahundredtothebestofthem,andyouorIwouldbeaperfectShrubb.Anotherpointwasthattheyknewnothin'aboutguns.Idon'tbelievetheyeverunderstoodhowthefellowIshotcamebyhishurt.Ifwecouldgetatourgunstherewasnosayin'whatwecoulddo. "SoIbrokeawayearlythismornin',gavemyguardakickinthetummythatlaidhimout,andsprintedforthecamp.ThereIgotyouandtheguns,andhereweare." "Buttheprofessors!"Icried,inconsternation. "Well,wemustjustgobackandfetch'em.Icouldn'tbring'emwithme.Challengerwasupthetree,andSummerleewasnotfitfortheeffort.Theonlychancewastogetthegunsandtryarescue.Ofcoursetheymayscupperthematonceinrevenge.Idon'tthinktheywouldtouchChallenger,butIwouldn'tanswerforSummerlee.Buttheywouldhavehadhiminanycase.OfthatIamcertain.SoIhaven'tmademattersanyworsebyboltin'.Butwearehonorboundtogobackandhavethemoutorseeitthroughwiththem.Soyoucanmakeupyoursoul,youngfellahmylad,foritwillbeonewayortheotherbeforeevenin'." IhavetriedtoimitatehereLordRoxton'sjerkytalk,hisshort,strongsentences,thehalf-humorous,half-recklesstonethatranthroughitall.Buthewasabornleader.Asdangerthickenedhisjauntymannerwouldincrease,hisspeechbecomemoreracy,hiscoldeyesglitterintoardentlife,andhisDonQuixotemoustachebristlewithjoyousexcitement.Hisloveofdanger,hisintenseappreciationofthedramaofanadventure—allthemoreintenseforbeingheldtightlyin—hisconsistentviewthateveryperilinlifeisaformofsport,afiercegamebetwixtyouandFate,withDeathasaforfeit,madehimawonderfulcompanionatsuchhours.Ifitwerenotforourfearsastothefateofourcompanions,itwouldhavebeenapositivejoytothrowmyselfwithsuchamanintosuchanaffair.Wewererisingfromourbrushwoodhiding-placewhensuddenlyIfelthisgripuponmyarm. "ByGeorge!"hewhispered,"heretheycome!" Fromwherewelaywecouldlookdownabrownaisle,archedwithgreen,formedbythetrunksandbranches.Alongthisapartyoftheape-menwerepassing.Theywentinsinglefile,withbentlegsandroundedbacks,theirhandsoccasionallytouchingtheground,theirheadsturningtoleftandrightastheytrottedalong.Theircrouchinggaittookawayfromtheirheight,butIshouldputthematfivefeetorso,withlongarmsandenormouschests.Manyofthemcarriedsticks,andatthedistancetheylookedlikealineofveryhairyanddeformedhumanbeings.ForamomentIcaughtthisclearglimpseofthem.Thentheywerelostamongthebushes. "Notthistime,"saidLordJohn,whohadcaughtuphisrifle."Ourbestchanceistoliequietuntiltheyhavegivenupthesearch.Thenweshallseewhetherwecan'tgetbacktotheirtownandhit'emwhereithurtsmost.Give'emanhourandwe'llmarch." Wefilledinthetimebyopeningoneofourfoodtinsandmakingsureofourbreakfast.LordRoxtonhadhadnothingbutsomefruitsincethemorningbeforeandatelikeastarvingman.Then,atlast,ourpocketsbulgingwithcartridgesandarifleineachhand,westartedoffuponourmissionofrescue.Beforeleavingitwecarefullymarkedourlittlehiding-placeamongthebrush-woodanditsbearingtoFortChallenger,thatwemightfinditagainifweneededit.Weslunkthroughthebushesinsilenceuntilwecametotheveryedgeofthecliff,closetotheoldcamp.Therewehalted,andLordJohngavemesomeideaofhisplans. "Solongasweareamongthethicktreestheseswineareourmasters,"saidhe."Theycanseeusandwecannotseethem.Butintheopenitisdifferent.Therewecanmovefasterthanthey.Sowemuststicktotheopenallwecan.Theedgeoftheplateauhasfewerlargetreesthanfurtherinland.Sothat'sourlineofadvance.Goslowly,keepyoureyesopenandyourrifleready.Aboveall,neverletthemgetyouprisonerwhilethereisacartridgeleft—that'smylastwordtoyou,youngfellah." WhenwereachedtheedgeofthecliffIlookedoverandsawourgoodoldblackZambosittingsmokingonarockbelowus.Iwouldhavegivenagreatdealtohavehailedhimandtoldhimhowwewereplaced,butitwastoodangerous,lestweshouldbeheard.Thewoodsseemedtobefulloftheape-menagainandagainweheardtheircuriousclickingchatter.Atsuchtimesweplungedintothenearestclumpofbushesandlaystilluntilthesoundhadpassedaway.Ouradvance,therefore,wasveryslow,andtwohoursatleastmusthavepassedbeforeIsawbyLordJohn'scautiousmovementsthatwemustbeclosetoourdestination.Hemotionedtometoliestill,andhecrawledforwardhimself.Inaminutehewasbackagain,hisfacequiveringwitheagerness. "Come!"saidhe."Comequick!IhopetotheLordwearenottoolatealready!" IfoundmyselfshakingwithnervousexcitementasIscrambledforwardandlaydownbesidehim,lookingoutthroughthebushesataclearingwhichstretchedbeforeus. ItwasasightwhichIshallneverforgetuntilmydyingday—soweird,soimpossible,thatIdonotknowhowIamtomakeyourealizeit,orhowinafewyearsIshallbringmyselftobelieveini