make for our hiding-place, but I was
very reluctant to go and leave my friends in the lurch, so I detained
Jimmy and we sat listening, the black making me sit down.

"Rest um leggums," he said. "Run much fas den."

We stayed there listening for what must have been the space of half an
hour, and during that time we could hear the shouting and rapping of
trees of the blacks as they were evidently searching the bush, but there
was no sound of excitement or fighting, neither did it seem to me that
there were any exulting shouts such as might arise over the capture of
prisoners.

This gave me hope, and in the belief that I might find my companions at
the hiding-place I was about to propose to Jimmy that we would go on,
when he jumped up.

"No stop no longer. Black fellow come along fas. Get away."

The noises made by the blacks were plainly coming nearer, and I sprang
to my feet, trying to pierce the darkness, but everywhere there were the
dimly-seen shapes of trees so close that they almost seemed to lower and
their branches to bear down upon our heads; there was the fresh moist
scent of the dewy earth and leaves, and now and then a faint cry of some
bird, but nothing to indicate the way we ought to go.

I turned to Jimmy.

"Can you tell where the cave is?" I said.

"No: Jimmy all dark," he answered.

"Can't you tell which way to go?"

"Oh yes um," he whispered. "Jimmy know which way go."

"Well, which?" I said, as the shouts came nearer.

"Dat away where no black fellow."

"But it may be away from the cave," I said.

"Jimmy don't know, can't help along. Find cave morrow nex day."

There was wisdom in his proposal, which, awkwardly as it was shaped,
meant that we were to avoid the danger now and find our friends another
time.

"Mass Joe keep long close," he whispered. "Soon come near time see
along way Mass doctor and Mass Jack Penny-Penny."

We paused for a moment, the black going down on his knees to lay his
head close to the ground so as to make sure of the direction where the
savages were, and he rose up with anything but comfortable news.

"All round bout nearer, come 'long other way."

Just then I gave a jump, for something touched my leg through a great
rent in my trousers. It felt cold, and for the moment I thought it must
be the head of a serpent; but a low familiar whine undeceived me, and I
stooped down to pat the neck of Jack Penny's shaggy friend.

"Home, Gyp!" I said. "Home!