“No, no, my hands are getting better. Rub your wrists while I cut your ankles free.”
For answer Ned made a dash at the knife, but Jack avoided him, and forgetting everything in his desire to set his companion at liberty, he began sawing away at his ankles, while Ned thrust his hand into his own pocket and drew out his knife, to begin operating directly after upon Jack’s bonds, with so much success that he was able to free him first.
His own were at liberty though directly after, and then they lay panting and perfectly still.
Jack was the first to speak.
“Now then,” he said, “shall we crawl up and try and get our guns?”
“And make one of them wake and tap us both again on the head. No, sir, that won’t do. Soon as you feel that you can move, crawl right away in among the bushes, and I’ll follow. Have you got any hands and feet? because I feel as if I hadn’t.”
“Mine are terribly numb, Ned, but we’ll start at once. It will do me more good to work them than to rest them. Which way?”
“Downwards, because it’s more easy. Then go into that hollow ditch-like bit.”
“But it goes upward.”
“Never mind, take it, and we shall be out of sight. It will be best. They’re sure to think we’ve made for the sea. Why, how dark it’s growing. Didn’t know it was so late.”