Soon they were crouching on the pontoon on the look-out for the guard who was stationed at this point. As they could not see him, they partly rose and began to run for the shore, when suddenly they heard behind them loud shouts and the order to halt.
Of course they ran for all they were worth. A shot was fired after them.
"Look out," grunted the Parisian. "Now for the forest, and in less than no time!"
[CHAPTER VI]
PERNAMBOUC, THE PRISON EXECUTIONER
Though the warder was taking pot-shots at them, Chéri-Bibi and the Nut had received too great a start to run any risk of being hit. When, a few minutes later, the warder came to the outlet of the tunnel through which the six convicts had escaped, he set up a music which may be imagined.
The two convicts found that they were cut off from the road to the jetty, and were obliged to fall back into a small wood of tall forest trees.
They strove again and again to get back to the mass of high rocks on the beach, but all their attempts to do so were discovered, and it was with a feeling of gloomy despair that Chéri-Bibi, who did not know that the launch had left the jetty, was fain to relinquish the idea.
The warders started again with renewed vigor to search the wood. They fired their rifles and revolvers into the trees on the off chance. They cursed and swore in their wrath.
Their imprecations were leveled at Chéri-Bibi, who had so often given them trouble, and whom they had never been able to capture when once he had taken to his heels. It was always he who, after a few weeks' stay in the forest, gave himself up as a prisoner.