merleeforoncewastoodepressedtoargue,thoughheshookhisheadviolentlyasatokenofgeneraldisagreement.LordJohnmerelyscratchedhisscantylockswiththeremarkthathecouldn'tputupafightashewasn'tinthesameweightorclass.FormyownpartIperformedmyusualroleofbringingthingsdowntoastrictlyprosaicandpracticallevelbytheremarkthatoneoftheIndianswasmissing.
"Hehasgonetofetchsomewater,"saidLordRoxton."Wefittedhimupwithanemptybeeftinandheisoff."
"Totheoldcamp?"Iasked.
"No,tothebrook.It'samongthetreesthere.Itcan'tbemorethanacoupleofhundredyards.Butthebeggariscertainlytakinghistime."
"I'llgoandlookafterhim,"saidI.Ipickedupmyrifleandstrolledinthedirectionofthebrook,leavingmyfriendstolayoutthescantybreakfast.ItmayseemtoyourashthatevenforsoshortadistanceIshouldquittheshelterofourfriendlythicket,butyouwillrememberthatweweremanymilesfromApe-town,thatsofarasweknewthecreatureshadnotdiscoveredourretreat,andthatinanycasewitharifleinmyhandsIhadnofearofthem.Ihadnotyetlearnedtheircunningortheirstrength.
Icouldhearthemurmurofourbrooksomewhereaheadofme,buttherewasatangleoftreesandbrushwoodbetweenmeandit.Iwasmakingmywaythroughthisatapointwhichwasjustoutofsightofmycompanions,when,underoneofthetrees,Inoticedsomethingredhuddledamongthebushes.AsIapproachedit,IwasshockedtoseethatitwasthedeadbodyofthemissingIndian.Helayuponhisside,hislimbsdrawnup,andhisheadscrewedroundatamostunnaturalangle,sothatheseemedtobelookingstraightoverhisownshoulder.Igaveacrytowarnmyfriendsthatsomethingwasamiss,andrunningforwardsIstoopedoverthebody.Surelymyguardianangelwasverynearmethen,forsomeinstinctoffear,oritmayhavebeensomefaintrustleofleaves,mademeglanceupwards.Outofthethickgreenfoliagewhichhunglowovermyhead,twolongmusculararmscoveredwithreddishhairwereslowlydescending.Anotherinstantandthegreatstealthyhandswouldhavebeenroundmythroat.Isprangbackwards,butquickasIwas,thosehandswerequickerstill.Throughmysuddenspringtheymissedafatalgrip,butoneofthemcaughtthebackofmyneckandtheotheronemyface.Ithrewmyhandsuptoprotectmythroat,andthenextmomentthehugepawhadsliddownmyfaceandclosedoverthem.Iwasliftedlightlyfromtheground,andIfeltanintolerablepressureforcingmyheadbackandbackuntilthestrainuponthecervicalspinewasmorethanIcouldbear.Mysensesswam,butIstilltoreatthehandandforceditoutfrommychin.LookingupIsawafrightfulfacewithcoldinexorablelightblueeyeslookingdownintomine.Therewassomethinghypnoticinthoseterribleeyes.Icouldstrugglenolonger