ack.

"He did so," answered Seth, "an' the curiosest part of it wer he looked
jest the same frightened like as when he saved me aboard the _Susan
Jane_, with his har all on end--jes so."

"It's very extraordinary," said Mr Rawlings; "and then they carried him
off?"

"Waal, I was making a good fit of it as I told you, an' when Sailor Bill
rushes to help me a second Injun started up and collars him; and then I
heard that air blessed dawg bark, and I knowed what it wer, an' so did
the Injuns too; for as I shouted out to let yer know whar we wer, they
made tracks with pore Bill, lugging him off atween them over thaar,"
said Seth, pointing eastwards, where, however, nothing could now be
seen. "And that's all you know about it?" said Mr Rawlings.

"Jes so," replied Seth.

At the same moment the negro Jasper, who had been gazing fixedly in the
direction in which Ernest Wilton had gone for aid, uttered an
exclamation of frenzied delight, and began to caper about.

"Golly, Massa Rawlings," cried he, "dere dey is! dere dey is!"

The negro was right. As he spoke Mr Rawlings and Seth could see a body
of men advancing over the crest of the plateau, accompanied by a waggon
drawn by a pair of mules. The young engineer had accomplished his
mission well. Instead of publishing his news aloud, and thereby
creating a commotion amongst the miners who would have all wished to
rush off _en masse_ to the assistance of Mr Rawlings and Seth Allport,
both much liked by all, and the rescue of Sailor Bill, whom the men had
got also attached to in the same way as the crew of the _Susan Jane_,
Ernest drew Noah Webster on one side, and briefly told him what had
occurred and what Mr Rawlings had ordered to be done.

Noah was equally prompt and discreet.

Mustering one of the gangs, who had completed their shift in sinking the
new shaft and had had a rest, he told them to get their rifles quietly
and accompany him to the prairie, when he mentioned casually, in a way
they appeared to understand, the boss and manager had come across some
"red game" and wanted their help.

At the same time the backwoodsman ordered Josh, who was nothing loth to
have the chance of abandoning his caboose duties for a while, to have a
couple of mules hitched to the waggon; while he beckoned Moose, the
half-breed, who apparently suspected something was in the wind, to come
towards him, when the two conferred, while the miners and Josh were
getting ready.

The