Then came wailings and howlings, as of grief, but these were quickly changed to yells of anger, and on they came once more. They soon overtook our two heroes, who, after firing with good effect, drew their revolvers and made a running battle of it.
Luckily they never once allowed these fiendish monsters to get into grips, else speedily indeed would they have been throttled to death.
Out into the sunshine, the glorious life-giving sunshine at last. And now they were safe. They crawled rather than walked as far as a little stream that trickled from a rock, and threw themselves down exhausted.
But youth soon recovers from exertion, and terror too, and so they finally found themselves back at the ruined fort loaded with both fruit and fish.
Happy indeed was Conal to see them, for, far away from the fort though the forest was, he had listened appalled to the awful medley of yells and shrieks, and made sure they were being murdered.
"Hillo!" cried Frank, cheerful once again--and hungry also--and it seems to me Frank was always hungry--"Hillo! Why, you have actually dinner ready?"
"Yes," said Conal, laughing. "Vike and I found some sweet-potatoes and we cooked these."
"But that splendid fish you are broiling?"
"Ah! isn't she a beauty? But you should have seen the little girl who brought it, carrying it on a little grass rope. She was a beauty too. And we had quite a little flirtation."
"Conal! I'm--"