at I could catch, above the
soft sough of the wind, the faint sound of their voices shouting to each
other as they pointed. Then the gesticulating suddenly ceased, the
paddles were resumed, churning the water into foam with the energy
thrown into each stroke, and the canoes raced forward at fully double
their original speed.

Waiting to see no more, I plunged recklessly down the slope, running,
sliding, stumbling, and once rolling headlong in my frantic haste to get
back to the cavern. I felt assured that, whatever their original
purpose might have been, those savages would now most assuredly land, if
only to hunt for me and secure my head as a trophy. It would be a race
between them and me as to who could reach the cavern first; moreover,
there was the horrid possibility that some of the women, or Julius,
might be abroad and fall into their hands; in which case, God help them!

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

THE RESCUE.

Never in my life, I think, had I run so fast as I did that afternoon,
while covering the mile and a half of ground that lay between the base
of the Peak and the nearest point at which I could overlook the harbour.
It was imperative that I should reach this point before returning to
the cavern, since it might very easily happen that Julius had launched
the boat and was in mid-harbour, fishing, as he had been wont to do of
late; and if so, he must be saved at all costs.

I had a rifle with me, and a pocketful of cartridges, it having become a
habit with me to carry them whenever I went abroad; and I believed that
at a pinch I might be able, by good shooting, to hold the savages off
long enough to enable the boy to land and make good his escape.
Luckily, when I arrived at the point for which I was aiming, the first
object to catch my eye was our boat, empty and moored in her usual
place; and the beach was entirely bare from end to end. Scarcely had I
satisfied myself of this when the sharp nose of the leading canoe shot
into view past the point where the narrow entrance widened out and the
harbour proper began; and before I had time to withdraw from the edge of
the cliff a yell of delight conveyed to me the unpleasant news that I
had again been seen.

I had, however, by this time got my wind again after my long run, so,
keeping far enough back from the edge of the cliff to ensure my
invisibility from below, I started at a long, swinging trot for the
cavern, and was fortunate enough to run into Julius,