"Dunno 'bout the others," said Lenny softly. "I'm ready to make a start, but I can't. It's my legs won't go."
"That's about it with me," said another of the men; and the result was that the mate told them to sit by the fire that was made, and rest for an hour before starting back. But when the hour had elapsed the poor fellows were plunged in a stupor-like sleep from which they could not be aroused.
CHAPTER THIRTY.
THE REVERSE OF CIRCUMSTANCES.
"The worst headache I ever had," said Jack Meadows to himself, as he lay with his eyes close shut, and in terrible pain; and then, with his brow throbbing, and a miserable sensation of sickness making his head confused, he began thinking, as a lad who has been brought in contact a good deal with a medical man would think, of the causes of his ailment, and what he had eaten that so disagreed with him, while he mentally resolved that, however good it was, he would never be tempted into tasting it again.
He might have added--till next time, but he did not. For just then in his weariness, pain, and mental confusion it seemed to him that some one else was suffering too, and in a similar way, for he heard a low, dismal groan, and a voice muttered--"Oh, my poor nut." Jack's eyes sprang open, and apparently let light into his brain, for in one glance he saw more than he had ever seen before in so short a glimpse.
For he had a full comprehension of his position, while the details thereof fixed themselves like an instantaneous photograph upon his mind.
The mental agony chased away the physical, and he gasped as he realised that he was bound hand and foot with green rotan cane; that Ned was in a similar condition lying alongside, but with his face away; that they were in an opening on the mountain side shut in by rocks and trees; and worst of all, that a few yards away a party of about twenty blacks of fierce aspect, and their hair mopped out with gum till each savage's coiffure was bigger than a grenadier's cap, were seated chattering together and feasting upon some kind of food which they had been roasting at a fire made among the stones.
The peculiar odour of burnt flesh sent a thrill of horror through him, and made a heavy dew of perspiration break out upon his brow at the thought of what probably was to follow, and for a time he felt as if he must shriek aloud. But he remained silent, though he did struggle fiercely to free his hands and feet from their bonds.
How these people had come there was a puzzle, but he was bound to confess that it was no dream. They had evidently landed on the island, prepared a fire, and cooked their food, which certainly was not fish, and they had surprised him and Ned, coming behind and stunning them by blows of the war-club each savage carried stuck through the band he wore about his waist.
One of Jack's first thoughts was, Had they surprised the doctor and the four men with him as well?
As this thought occurred to him he searched the group eagerly, but there was no sign of any plunder, and certainly he and Ned were the only two prisoners, so there was some hope of their being rescued as soon as they were missed. They were five, and Doctor Instow would not hesitate a moment about attacking--how many were there?
He counted twice over, and then, with his head still sufficiently confused to make the task difficult, he counted again, to find that there were more than he had thought at first, several being flat on chest or back, while two, like the Irishman's little pig, would not lie still to be counted.
His further thoughts were put an end to by a low groan from his companion in misfortune, who suddenly made an effort and rolled himself over so that he lay face to face with his young master.
"Oh, I say, sir," he whispered, with a look of horror in his eyes, "ain't this awful!"
Jack nodded.
"My wristies and ankles are nearly cut through."
"So are mine."
"Have they got your gun as well as mine?"
Jack nodded, keeping his eyes on the lithe, shiny bodies of the hungry blacks the while, but they were too much intent upon feasting to take any notice of their prisoners.
"They must have fetched me an awful crack on the head, sir. Did they hit you too?"
"Yes, my head aches horribly, Ned. Look, there are our guns standing up against the rock with their spears."
"And bows and arrows too, sir. Ugh! gives me the shivers. Poisoned!"
"Ned, do you think we could get at our guns and make a dash to escape?"
"What, and risk the arrows?"
"Yes. Once we could get amongst the trees we should have as good a chance of getting away as they would of catching us."
"Don't know so much about that, sir. They ain't got no clothes to catch in the thorns and creepers."
"But you'll try?"
"Try, sir! I should think I would; only I'd wait till it got dark first."
"By that time we may not be alive, Ned."
"Oh yes, we shall, sir. If they'd been going to kill us they wouldn't have taken the trouble to tie us like this."
"You are saying that to cheer me up, Ned," whispered Jack.
"No, sir, 'strue as goodness I ain't. It's just what I mean. But I'm ready to do anything you do if I can. Legs hurt you, sir, where they're tied?"
"Horribly, Ned."
"So do mine, sir, and so does one hand and wrist. T'other don't seem of any consequence at all. It's ever so much number than it was before, so that it don't ache a bit."
They lay there for some time watching the blacks, who kept on eating as if they would never leave off. Every now and then one went round to the back of the stones which formed their rough fire-place, and helped himself to more, returning to sit down and go on eating with the customary result. Thoroughly glutted at last, first one and then another sank back and went to sleep where he had sat eating, till not one seemed to be on the watch, and Jack looked full in the eyes of his companion in misfortune, questioning him.
"I'd wait just a bit longer to let 'em get off sound, sir," said Ned softly; and seeing the wisdom of the advice, Jack waited with every nerve on the strain. But there was no sound to be heard, and he took it for granted that the blacks had dragged or carried them for some distance, right away from the track taken by the doctor. As he examined the place more attentively, it seemed as if this was a spot which had been used as a camp before, for the bushes and trees were disfigured by flame and smoke, and the stones and rock which rose up like a wall were utterly bare of grass, lichen, and creeper.
Then as he lay he began to reason out matters a little more, till, right or wrong, he came to the conclusion that this must be a hunting party landed on the island to pursue the droves of pigs, one of which they had killed, cooked, and eaten.
He felt lighter-hearted as he thought this, for ugly ideas had crept into his mind and made him shudder with horror.
That this was the true reason for the blacks being there he felt more and more convinced, and this meant that there must be another opening through the reef somewhere unnoticed during their cruise round the island, so that if an examination had been made then, a canoe would be found run up on the sands waiting for their return.
This point reached, Jack whispered suddenly to Ned--
"Do you think they have tied us up like this so as to take us down to a canoe?"
"Yes, they've made us prisoners to take us away somewhere. That's what I think, sir."
"Yes, and that's what I think, Ned. Now look carefully all round, and see if you can make out whether any one is watching."
"Can't get my head up, sir," whispered the man after a pause, "but as far as I can make out they're all fast asleep."
"Then let's try to get away."
"Yes, sir; but how?"
"Do as I do. I'm outside, and the ground slopes down from here. I'll start and you follow."
"But I'm tied wrists and ankles, sir. I can't stir."