Jeekie plunged back into the canal and with a few strong strokes reached him, gripped him by the arm and began to tow him to the shore. Before they came there Big Bonsa rose like a huge fish and tried to follow them, but could not, or so it seemed. At any rate it only whirled round and round upon the surface, while from it poured a white fluid that turned the black water to the hue of milk. Then it began to scream, making a thin and dreadful sound more like that of an infant in pain than anything they had ever heard, a very sickening sound that Alan never could forget. He staggered to the bank and stood staring at it where it bled, rolled and shrieked, but because of the milky foam could make nothing out in that light.
“What is it, Jeekie?” he said with an idiotic laugh. “What is it?”
“Oh! don’t know. Devil and all, perhaps. Come on, Major, before it catch us.”
“I don’t think it will catch anyone just at present. Devil or not hollow-nosed bullets don’t agree with it. Shall I give it another, Jeekie?” and he lifted the pistol.
“No, no, Major, don’t play tomfool,” and Jeekie grabbed him by the arm and dragged him away.
A few paces further on stood the Mungana like a man transfixed, and even then Alan noticed that he regarded him with something akin to awe.
“Stronger than the god,” he muttered, “stronger than the god,” and bounded forward.
Following the path that ran beside the canal, they plunged into a tunnel, holding each other as before. In a few minutes they were through it and in a place full of cedar trees outside the wall of the Gold House, under which evidently the tunnel passed, for there it rose behind them. Beneath these cedar trees they flitted like ghosts, now in the moonlight and now in the shadow.
The great fall to the back of the town was on their left, and in front of them lay one of the arms of the river, at this spot a raging torrent not much more than a hundred feet in width, spanned by a narrow suspension bridge which seemed to be supported by two fibre ropes. On the hither side of this bridge stood a guard hut, and to their dismay out of this hut ran three men armed with spears, evidently to cut them off. One of these men sped across the bridge and took his stand at the further end, while the other two posted themselves in their path at the entrance to it.
The Mungana slacked his speed and said one word—“Finished!” and Jeekie also hesitated, then turned and pointed behind them.