"Master," he cried, "what did we tell you? We warned you of the Fire-gods! We told you the valley was bewitched! We implored you not to go!"
As the boy ran on in the same strain, Crouch gathered himself together, growing purple in the face. With his tattered garments, which resembled ruffled feathers, he looked like an infuriated turkey-cock. And then, without warning, he landed the boy such a kick as lifted him bodily into the air.
"Fire-gods be hanged!" he shouted. "These are jungle marks. If the valley 's bewitched, it's bewitched by thorns. Look here! See for yourselves!" So saying, he lifted his bare leg, in which the thorns were sticking like so many pins in a pin-cushion. "I've seen the Fire-gods," he ran on. "You blithering fools, I've taken tea with 'em. I've doctored one with a dose of medicine, and I've played cards with the other. And I've not done with them, yet--mind that! I'm going back, by Christopher! and there'll be the biggest war-palaver you ever heard of in your lives. Come, get up, and get a move on! But, first, what are you doing here?"
The boys answered that they had come down-stream to shoot hippopotami for food. They said that about a mile farther down the river there was a great grassy bank where many of these animals were to be found. Crouch ordered them to get back into the canoe, saying that as soon as they arrived at the island he would open a case of supplies--bully beef and sardines, of which the Loango boys cherished the empty tins. Also, he promised that in a day or so he would shoot a buffalo, and they would not want for provisions. There was a certain amount of hippo meat in the canoe, and that night Crouch and Max partook of the same food as the boys. It was not until the afternoon of the following day that they arrived at Date Palm Island.
They did not expect Edward Harden for some days. He was still forcing his way towards the Kasai by way of the portage. In the meantime, not only were they glad enough of a rest, but this was altogether essential. It took Crouch some days to rid himself of the thorns which had attached themselves to his skin. He refused all medical assistance from Max; and the wonder of it was, that the wound in his thigh was healing rapidly under his "Bull's Eye treatment." This was wholly incomprehensible to the young medical student, who beheld the theories he had studied at hospital, and on which he had placed such store, dissipated to the winds. In all probability, the fact was that Crouch had such firm belief in his own remedy that his cure was an example of "faith healing"; it is generally admitted in these days that "attitude of mind" affects the health and can even bring about organic changes, for better or for worse. At any rate, in three days he was sufficiently recovered to set forth into the forest of rubber trees on the right bank of the river in search of the buffalo he had promised the boys. Max--although on this occasion he remained in camp--had by now completely recovered his strength.
There were few things they carried with them to the Hidden River of which they had not duplicates at Date Palm Island. Crouch had been able to secure a new suit of clothes, tobacco and another pipe. As for rifles, both Edward and Crouch were experienced explorers, and knew that if a fire-arm was lost or broken, they could not buy a new one in the heart of Africa. They had therefore equipped themselves with a battery of several rifles, including Remingtons, Expresses and Winchester repeaters, besides several shot-guns and revolvers.
On the evening of that day, when he was expecting Crouch's return at any moment, Max walked to the northern extremity of the island. When there, his ears caught the sound of a shot in the forest, on the left bank of the river.
Now, since Crouch had landed on the other side, there could be no question as to whence came this shot; and in a few minutes Max had run to the canoe, jumped in and paddled to the bank. There, he picked up his rifle and fired twice into the air.
Almost immediately his two shots were answered, and there came a second answer--from Crouch on the northern bank. A quarter of an hour later, Max, who had hastened forward on the line of the portage, had grasped the hand of his uncle, who was amazed to see him.
Crouch returned at nightfall. He had killed his buffalo, far in the interior of the forest, and the following morning the boys set out to cut it up. That night the three friends were seated around the camp-fire on Date Palm Island. Edward's journey had been uneventful, except that one of his Fan attendants had been mauled badly by a wounded leopard.