“Catch hold,” I said, pushing a great sandwich towards my black companion; but he shook his head and shrank away.
“Tant Jenny say all young Boss Val,” he said, and then he laughed and displayed a large packet carefully fastened to the inside of his shield. This packet he opened, took out a sandwich similar to mine, then squatted down and began to eat.
“Joeboy had plenty yes’day,” he said, and he gave his front a circular rub as if to suggest that it was still fairly stored, after which he went on munching slowly as if to keep me company.
“Now,” I said after eating a few mouthfuls, “what did my father say?”
“Big Boss say Joeboy go Echo Nek. Stop till son Val come.”
“Is that all?” I said wonderingly.
“Yes; all Boss say.”
As he spoke, however, Joeboy laid his sandwich upon the shield beside him, and then began to fumble behind him in the band of his cut-down trousers, out of a leopard-skin pocket attached to which he drew a packet of common leather tied up with a slip of the same.
I opened the leather packet with trembling fingers, and found a letter, which I eagerly read:
“Dear Val,—I take it for granted, my boy, that you will escape from those ruffians and be lying in wait for my message. I find, though, that Joeboy is missing, and if he does not return I shall have to come and meet you myself, and then I can tell you what to do. I will, however, write this in the hope that I can send it, as I do not want to leave your aunt and Bob, for there is much to do, burying and hiding a few valuables in case we are ever able to come back.”