.Asthecreaturefeltmegrowlimpinhisgrasp,twowhitecaninesgleamedforamomentateachsideofthevilemouth,andthegriptightenedstillmoreuponmychin,forcingitalwaysupwardsandback.Athin,oval-tintedmistformedbeforemyeyesandlittlesilverybellstinkledinmyears.DullyandfaroffIheardthecrackofarifleandwasfeeblyawareoftheshockasIwasdroppedtotheearth,whereIlaywithoutsenseormotion.
Iawoketofindmyselfonmybackuponthegrassinourlairwithinthethicket.Someonehadbroughtthewaterfromthebrook,andLordJohnwassprinklingmyheadwithit,whileChallengerandSummerleewereproppingmeup,withconcernintheirfaces.ForamomentIhadaglimpseofthehumanspiritsbehindtheirscientificmasks.Itwasreallyshock,ratherthananyinjury,whichhadprostratedme,andinhalf-an-hour,inspiteofachingheadandstiffneck,Iwassittingupandreadyforanything.
"Butyou'vehadtheescapeofyourlife,youngfellahmylad,"saidLordRoxton."WhenIheardyourcryandranforward,andsawyourheadtwistedhalf-offandyourstohwasserskickin'intheair,Ithoughtwewereoneshort.Imissedthebeastinmyflurry,buthedroppedyouallrightandwasofflikeastreak.ByGeorge!IwishIhadfiftymenwithrifles.I'dclearoutthewholeinfernalgangofthemandleavethiscountryabitcleanerthanwefoundit."
Itwasclearnowthattheape-menhadinsomewaymarkedusdown,andthatwewerewatchedoneveryside.Wehadnotsomuchtofearfromthemduringtheday,buttheywouldbeverylikelytorushusbynightsothesoonerwegotawayfromtheirneighborhoodthebetter.Onthreesidesofuswasabsoluteforest,andtherewemightfindourselvesinanambush.Butonthefourthside—thatwhichslopeddowninthedirectionofthelake—therewasonlylowscrub,withscatteredtreesandoccasionalopenglades.Itwas,infact,theroutewhichIhadmyselftakeninmysolitaryjourney,anditledusstraightfortheIndiancaves.Thisthenmustforeveryreasonbeourroad.
Onegreatregretwehad,andthatwastoleaveouroldcampbehindus,notonlyforthesakeofthestoreswhichremainedthere,butevenmorebecausewewerelosingtouchwithZambo,ourlinkwiththeoutsideworld.However,wehadafairsupplyofcartridgesandallourguns,so,foratimeatleast,wecouldlookafterourselves,andwehopedsoontohaveachanceofreturningandrestoringourcommunicationswithournegro.Hehadfaithfullypromisedtostaywherehewas,andwehadnotadoubtthathewouldbeasgoodashisword.
Itwasintheearlyafternoonthatwestarteduponourjourney.Theyoungchiefwalkedatourheadasourguide,butrefusedindignantlytocarryanyburden.BehindhimcamethetwosurvivingIndianswithourscantypossessionsupontheirbacks.Wefourwhitemenwalkedintherearwithriflesloadedandrea