CHAPTER XIV "Those Were the Real Conquests"

merleeforoncewastoodepressedtoargue,thoughheshookhisheadviolentlyasatokenofgeneraldisagreement.LordJohnmerelyscratchedhisscantylockswiththeremarkthathecouldn'tputupafightashewasn'tinthesameweightorclass.FormyownpartIperformedmyusualroleofbringingthingsdowntoastrictlyprosaicandpracticallevelbytheremarkthatoneoftheIndianswasmissing. "Hehasgonetofetchsomewater,"saidLordRoxton."Wefittedhimupwithanemptybeeftinandheisoff." "Totheoldcamp?"Iasked. "No,tothebrook.It'samongthetreesthere.Itcan'tbemorethanacoupleofhundredyards.Butthebeggariscertainlytakinghistime." "I'llgoandlookafterhim,"saidI.Ipickedupmyrifleandstrolledinthedirectionofthebrook,leavingmyfriendstolayoutthescantybreakfast.ItmayseemtoyourashthatevenforsoshortadistanceIshouldquittheshelterofourfriendlythicket,butyouwillrememberthatweweremanymilesfromApe-town,thatsofarasweknewthecreatureshadnotdiscoveredourretreat,andthatinanycasewitharifleinmyhandsIhadnofearofthem.Ihadnotyetlearnedtheircunningortheirstrength. Icouldhearthemurmurofourbrooksomewhereaheadofme,buttherewasatangleoftreesandbrushwoodbetweenmeandit.Iwasmakingmywaythroughthisatapointwhichwasjustoutofsightofmycompanions,when,underoneofthetrees,Inoticedsomethingredhuddledamongthebushes.AsIapproachedit,IwasshockedtoseethatitwasthedeadbodyofthemissingIndian.Helayuponhisside,hislimbsdrawnup,andhisheadscrewedroundatamostunnaturalangle,sothatheseemedtobelookingstraightoverhisownshoulder.Igaveacrytowarnmyfriendsthatsomethingwasamiss,andrunningforwardsIstoopedoverthebody.Surelymyguardianangelwasverynearmethen,forsomeinstinctoffear,oritmayhavebeensomefaintrustleofleaves,mademeglanceupwards.Outofthethickgreenfoliagewhichhunglowovermyhead,twolongmusculararmscoveredwithreddishhairwereslowlydescending.Anotherinstantandthegreatstealthyhandswouldhavebeenroundmythroat.Isprangbackwards,butquickasIwas,thosehandswerequickerstill.Throughmysuddenspringtheymissedafatalgrip,butoneofthemcaughtthebackofmyneckandtheotheronemyface.Ithrewmyhandsuptoprotectmythroat,andthenextmomentthehugepawhadsliddownmyfaceandclosedoverthem.Iwasliftedlightlyfromtheground,andIfeltanintolerablepressureforcingmyheadbackandbackuntilthestrainuponthecervicalspinewasmorethanIcouldbear.Mysensesswam,butIstilltoreatthehandandforceditoutfrommychin.LookingupIsawafrightfulfacewithcoldinexorablelightblueeyeslookingdownintomine.Therewassomethinghypnoticinthoseterribleeyes.Icouldstrugglenolonger.Asthecreaturefeltmegrowlimpinhisgrasp,twowhitecaninesgleamedforamomentateachsideofthevilemouth,andthegriptightenedstillmoreuponmychin,forcingitalwaysupwardsandback.Athin,oval-tintedmistformedbeforemyeyesandlittlesilverybellstinkledinmyears.DullyandfaroffIheardthecrackofarifleandwasfeeblyawareoftheshockasIwasdroppedtotheearth,whereIlaywithoutsenseormotion. Iawoketofindmyselfonmybackuponthegrassinourlairwithinthethicket.Someonehadbroughtthewaterfromthebrook,andLordJohnwassprinklingmyheadwithit,whileChallengerandSummerleewereproppingmeup,withconcernintheirfaces.ForamomentIhadaglimpseofthehumanspiritsbehindtheirscientificmasks.Itwasreallyshock,ratherthananyinjury,whichhadprostratedme,andinhalf-an-hour,inspiteofachingheadandstiffneck,Iwassittingupandreadyforanything. "Butyou'vehadtheescapeofyourlife,youngfellahmylad,"saidLordRoxton."WhenIheardyourcryandranforward,andsawyourheadtwistedhalf-offandyourstohwasserskickin'intheair,Ithoughtwewereoneshort.Imissedthebeastinmyflurry,buthedroppedyouallrightandwasofflikeastreak.ByGeorge!IwishIhadfiftymenwithrifles.I'dclearoutthewholeinfernalgangofthemandleavethiscountryabitcleanerthanwefoundit." Itwasclearnowthattheape-menhadinsomewaymarkedusdown,andthatwewerewatchedoneveryside.Wehadnotsomuchtofearfromthemduringtheday,buttheywouldbeverylikelytorushusbynightsothesoonerwegotawayfromtheirneighborhoodthebetter.Onthreesidesofuswasabsoluteforest,andtherewemightfindourselvesinanambush.Butonthefourthside—thatwhichslopeddowninthedirectionofthelake—therewasonlylowscrub,withscatteredtreesandoccasionalopenglades.Itwas,infact,theroutewhichIhadmyselftakeninmysolitaryjourney,anditledusstraightfortheIndiancaves.Thisthenmustforeveryreasonbeourroad. Onegreatregretwehad,andthatwastoleaveouroldcampbehindus,notonlyforthesakeofthestoreswhichremainedthere,butevenmorebecausewewerelosingtouchwithZambo,ourlinkwiththeoutsideworld.However,wehadafairsupplyofcartridgesandallourguns,so,foratimeatleast,wecouldlookafterourselves,andwehopedsoontohaveachanceofreturningandrestoringourcommunicationswithournegro.Hehadfaithfullypromisedtostaywherehewas,andwehadnotadoubtthathewouldbeasgoodashisword. Itwasintheearlyafternoonthatwestarteduponourjourney.Theyoungchiefwalkedatourheadasourguide,butrefusedindignantlytocarryanyburden.BehindhimcamethetwosurvivingIndianswithourscantypossessionsupontheirbacks.Wefourwhitemenwalkedintherearwithriflesloadedandrea