oot," I cried, striking at his gun; but I was too late, for as
I bent towards him he drew the trigger, there was a flash, a puff of
smoke, a sharp report that echoed from the mouth of the cave, and then
with a horrible dread upon me I sprang up and made for the entrance,
followed by Jack and the blacks.

It took us but a minute to get down into the stream bed and then to
climb up amongst the bushes to where we had seen the savage, and neither
of us now gave a thought of there being danger from his companions.
What spirit moved Jack Penny I cannot tell. That which moved me was an
eager desire to know whether a horrible suspicion was likely to be true,
and to gain the knowledge I proceeded on first till I reached the spot
where the man had fallen.

It was a desperate venture, for he might have struck at me, wounded
merely, with war-club or spear; but I did not think of that: I wanted to
solve the horrible doubt, and I had just caught sight of the fallen
figure lying prone upon its face when Jimmy uttered a warning cry, and
we all had to stoop down amongst the bushes, for it seemed as if the
savage's companions were coming to his help.

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX.

HOW THE DOCTOR FOUND A PATIENT READY TO HIS HAND.

We waited for some minutes crouched there among the bushes listening to
the coming of those who forced their way through the trees, while moment
by moment the morning light grew clearer, the small birds twittered, and
the parrots screamed. We could see nothing, but it was evident that two
if not three savages were slowly descending the slope of the ravine
towards where we were hidden. The wounded man uttered a low groan that
thrilled me and then sent a cold shudder through my veins, for I was
almost touching him; and set aside the feeling of horror at having been,
as it were, partner in inflicting his injury, there was the sensation
that he might recover sufficiently to revenge himself upon us by a blow
with his spear.

The sounds came nearer, and it was now so light that as we watched we
could see the bushes moving, and it seemed to me that more of this
horrible bloodshed must ensue. We were crouching close, but the wounded
man was moaning, and his companions might at any moment hear him and
then discovery must follow; while if, on the other hand, we did not
resist, all hope of rescuing my poor father would be gone.

"We must fight," I said to myself, setting my teeth hard and bringing my
gun to bear on