LITMIR.BIZ

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him too much. The most mournful ideas of what might happen if more than two or three of the desperadoes attacked the place crowded into his mind. If they came, they came to rob, and they were men who left behind them no living witnesses of their whereabouts or their crimes. And if two or three should come, and be repulsed, it would not be long before the rest would arrive. In fact, the only real hope they had was founded on the early return of Rynders — that is, if Rynders and his men were living.

      The captain waited and listened, but nothing came but daylight. As soon as he was able to discern objects outside the opening on the plateau, he awoke Maka, and, leaving him on guard, he made his way to the lake cavern.

      Here the light was beginning to come freely through the chasm which faced nearly east. Mok was sitting with his eyes open, and showed that he was alive by a little grunt when the captain approached. If there were such a thing here as a subterranean tide, it had not risen. There was no water where the lake had been.

      Gazing across the empty basin, the captain felt a strong desire to go over, climb up to the opening, and discover whether or not the cavern was accessible on that side. It would be very important for him to know this, and it would not take long for him to make an investigation. One side of the rocky shelf which has been before mentioned sloped down to the lake, and the captain was just about to descend this when he heard a cry from the passage, and, at the same moment, a shout from Mok which seemed to be in answer to it. Instantly the captain turned and dashed into the passage, and, leaping over the barrier, found Maka standing near the entrance.

      As soon as the negro saw him, he began to beckon wildly for him to come on. But there was no need now of keeping quiet and beckoning. The first shout had aroused everybody inside, and the two ladies and Ralph were already in the passage. The captain, however, made them keep back, while he and Maka, on their hands and knees, crawled toward the outer opening. From this point one could see over the plateau, and the uneven ground beyond, down to the beach and the sea; but there was still so little light upon this western slope that at first the captain could not see anything noticeable in the direction in which Maka was pointing. But in a few moments his mariner eyes asserted themselves, and he saw some black spots on the strip of beach, which seemed to move. Then he knew they were moving, and moving toward him — coming up to the cave! They were men!

      “Sit here,” said the captain to Maka, and then, with his gun in his hand, he rushed back to the rest of the party.

      “They seem to be coming,” said he, speaking as calmly as he could, “but we have discovered them in good time, and I shall have some shots at them before they reach here. Let us hope that they will never get here at all. You two,” said he to Mrs. Cliff and Ralph, “are to be under command of Miss Markham. You must do exactly what she tells you to.” Then, turning to Edna, he said, “You have your pistol ready?”

      “Yes,” said she, “I am ready.”

      Without another word, the captain took his other gun and all his ammunition, and went back into the passage. Here he found Mok, who had come to see what was the matter. Motioning the negro to go back to his post, the captain, with his loaded guns, went again to the entrance. Looking out, he could now plainly see the men. There were four of them. It was lighter down toward the sea, for the rocks still threw a heavy shadow over the plateau. The sight sent a thrill of brave excitement through the captain.

      “If they come in squads of four,” thought he, “I may be a match for them. They can’t see me, and I can see them. If I could trust Maka to load a gun, I would have a better chance, but if I could pick off two, or even one, that might stop the others and give me time to reload. Come on, you black-hearted scoundrels,” he muttered through his teeth, as he knelt outside the cave, one gun partly raised, and the other on the ground beside him. “If I could only know that none of your band could come in at that hole in the back of the cave, I’d call the odds even.”

      The dawn grew brighter, and the four men drew nearer. They came slowly, one considerably ahead of the others. Two or three times they stopped and appeared to be consulting, and then again moved slowly forward straight toward the plateau.

      When the leading man was nearly within gunshot, the captain’s face began to burn, and his pulses to throb hard and fast.

      “The sooner I pick off the head one,” he thought, “the better chance I have at the others.”

      He brought his gun to his shoulder, and was slowly lowering the barrel to the line of aim, when suddenly something like a great black beast rushed past him, pushing up his arm and nearly toppling him over. It came from the cave, and in a second it was out on the plateau. Then it gave a leap upward, and rushed down toward the sea. Utterly astounded, the captain steadied himself and turned to Maka.

      “What was that?” he exclaimed.

      The African was on his feet, his body bent forward, his eyes peering out into the distance.

      “Mok!” said he. “Look! Look!”

      It was Mok who had rushed out of the cave. He was running toward the four men. He reached them, he threw up his arms, he sprang upon the first man. Then he left him, and jumped upon the others. Then Maka gave a little cry and sprang forward, but in the same instant the captain seized him.

      “Stop!” he cried. “What is it?”

      The African shouted: “Mok’s people! Mok knowed them. Look! Look — see! Mok!”

      The party was now near enough and the day was bright enough for the captain to see that on the lower ground beyond the plateau there were five black men in a state of mad excitement. He could hear them jabbering away at a great rate. So far as he could discover, they were all unarmed, and as they stood there gesticulating, the captain might have shot them down in a bunch, if he had chosen.

      “Go,” said he to Maka, “go down there and see what it all means.”

      The captain now stepped back into the passage. He could see Miss Markham and Ralph peering out of the doorway of the first compartment.

      “There does not seem to be any danger so far,” said he. “Some more Africans have turned up. Maka has gone to meet them. We shall find out about them in a few minutes,” and he turned back to the entrance.

      He saw that the six black fellows were coming toward him, and, as he had thought, they carried no guns.

      CHAPTER IX. AN AMAZING NARRATION

      When the captain had gone out again into the open air, he was followed by the rest of the party, for, if there were no danger, they all wanted to see what was to be seen. What they saw was a party of six black men on the plateau, Maka in the lead. There could be no doubt that the newcomers were the remainder of the party of Africans who had been enslaved by the Rackbirds, and the desire of the captain and his companions to know how they had got away, and what news they brought, was most intense.

      Maka now hurried forward, leading one of the strangers. “Great things they tell,” said he. “This Cheditafa. He speak English good as me. He tell you.”

      “The first thing I want,” cried the captain, “is some news of those Rackbirds. Have they found we are here? Will they be coming after these men, or have they gone off somewhere else? Tell me this, and be quick.”

      “Oh, yes,” cried Maka, “they found out we here. But Cheditafa tell you — he tell you everything. Great things!”

      “Very well, then,” said the captain. “Let him begin and be quick about it.”

      The appearance of Cheditafa was quite as miserable as that of poor Mok, but his countenance was much more intelligent, and his English, although very much broken, was better even than Maka’s, and he was able to make himself perfectly understood. He spoke briefly, and this is the substance of his story:

      About the middle of the afternoon of the day before, a wonderful thing happened. The Rackbirds had had their dinner, which they had cooked themselves, and they were all lying down in their huts or in the shadows of the rocks, either asleep, or smoking and telling stories. Cheditafa knew why they were resting. The Rackbirds had no

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