Crouch had flown too often in the face of Providence not to be aware of that; but, just then, he was well-nigh mad with wrath and restless with excitement. Snatching the lantern from Edward's hand he raced along the passage, until they found themselves again within the stockade.
Still, the captain never paused. He passed through the gate, and thence ascended the hills. They found the slave-camp absolutely silent. On every hand the unhappy negroes lay stretched upon the ground, and there in the middle of them was de Costa, nature striving to maintain the spark of life within that fever-stricken body, by means of healthful slumber. On the eastern horizon, beyond the unknown hills which they had seen from Solitude Peak, the dawn was rising in a flood.
With scant ceremony Crouch awakened first de Costa, then every one of the slaves. Through the medium of the half-caste he spoke to the natives as follows--
"We found you slaves, we have made you freemen. Are you grateful for what we have done?"
A murmur arose from the crowd. They said that they were mindful of what they owed to the white wizard and his brave companions.
"Then," said Crouch, "you can help us. We are going down-river. We must start at once. We must take all our baggage, our stores and ammunition. There are six canoes at the kraal, and these will be sufficient. But we will need porters to make the journey through the jungle to the Kasai. If you come with us, to carry our loads and canoes, we will pay you in cowrie shells and beads, brass rods and cloth."
To a man they volunteered, and not five minutes later a caravan of fifty carriers, protected by seven rifles, descended to the lake before Makanda.
In less than an hour the canoes were loaded, and then the expedition shot down the stream, the canoes following one behind the other in single file. Crouch led the way, his quick eye sweeping either bank in search of the place where Cæsar had embarked. Max, in the last canoe brought up the rear.
As the canoes gained the point where the sandy plain around the settlement gave place to the density of the jungle, all turned and looked back upon Makanda. To the slaves, many of whom had worked for two years under the whip, without hope of ultimate salvation, it was as if they looked their last upon their prison doors. As for the Englishmen, they remembered that grey, steaming morning when they had first come within sight of the stockade, when Cæsar had fired at them from the water.
All that had happened in the weeks that followed was like some strange, swift-moving dream.