For the moment I was half-stunned. Then the idea came to me of help
being at hand, and I was about to _cooey_ and bring Jimmy to my side,
but my lips closed and I set my teeth.

"No," I thought, "he may escape. If any one is to be taken let it be
me; my turn will come later on."

My captor had evidently been exerting himself a great deal to overtake
me, and after binding me he contented himself by sitting upon my back,
panting heavily, to rest himself, while, knowing that struggling would
be in vain, I remained motionless, satisfied that every minute was of
inestimable value, and that once the doctor knew of the black's success
he would use every exertion to get the captive in safety, and then he
would be sure to come in search of me.

Then I shuddered, for I remembered what Mr Francis had said about the
people being infuriated at such a time, and as I did so I felt that I
was a long way yet from being a man.

All at once my captor leaped up, and seizing me by the arm he gave me a
fearful wrench to make me rise to my feet.

For some minutes past I had been expecting to see others of his party
come up, or to hear him shout to them, but he remained silent, and stood
at last hesitating or listening to the faint shouts that came from the
glow beyond the trees.

Suddenly he thrust me before him, shaking his waddy menacingly. The
next moment he uttered a cry. There was a sharp crack as of one
war-club striking another, and then I was struck down by two men
struggling fiercely. There were some inarticulate words, and a snarling
and panting like two wild beasts engaged in a hard fight, and then a
heavy fall, a dull thud, and the sound of a blow, as if some one had
struck a tree branch with a club.

I could see nothing from where I lay, but as soon as I could recover
myself I was struggling to my feet, when a black figure loomed over me,
and a familiar voice said hoarsely:

"Where Mass Joe knife, cut um 'tring?"

"Jimmy!" I said. "My father?"

"Set um down come look Mass Joe. Come 'long fas. Gyp take care Jimmy
fader till um come back again again."

As Jimmy spoke he thrust his hand into my pocket for my knife, while I
was too much interested in his words to remind him that there was my
large sheath-knife in my belt.

"Come 'long," he said as he set me free, and we were starting when he
stopped short: "No; tie black fellow up firs'. No, can't 'top."

Before I knew what he meant to do he had given the pr