And off he crawled through the wet grass, taking a circuitous route which brought him up on the sentinel's left.
Presently the sentinel started to rise. As he did so Cujo leaped from the grass and threw him to the earth. Then a long knife flashed in the air. "No speak, or um diet" came softly; but, the Frenchman realized that the African meant what he said.
"I will be silent!" he growled, in the language of the African.
"Don't—don't choke me."
Cujo let out a low whistle, which the others rightly guessed was a
signal for them to come up. Finding himself surrounded, the
Frenchman gave up his gun and other weapons without a struggle.
He could talk no English, so what followed had to be translated by
Cujo.
"Yes, de man an' boy are dare," explained Cujo, pointing to the fort. "Da chained up, so dis rascal say. De captain ob de band want heap money to let um go."
"Ask him how many of the band there are," asked Sam.
But at this question the Frenchman shook his head. Either he did not know or would not tell.
After a consultation the rascal was made to march back to safer ground. Then he was strapped to a tree and gagged. The straps were not fastened very tightly, so that the man was sure to gain his liberty sooner or later. "If we didn't come back and he was too tight he might starve to death," said Tom.
"Not but wot he deserves to starve," said Aleck, with a scowl at the crestfallen prisoner.
At the foot of the cliff all was as dark and silent as a tomb. "We go slow now, or maybe take a big tumble," cautioned Cujo. "Perhaps him better if me climb up first," and he began the dangerous ascent of the cliff by means of the numerous vines already mentioned.