CHAPTER XVI.
DESERTED.
“What’s the matter, Mack?” asked Walter. “Do the jackals disturb you?”
“’Sh!” whispered the latter, making a warning gesture. “There’s no need of arousing the camp, for I can make it all right myself.”
“Make what all right?” asked Walter, almost involuntarily sinking his voice to a low whisper.
“Why, one of the Kaffirs has slipped away from Bob, and I saw him sneaking off towards the woods with your uncle’s fine double-barrel in his hands,” replied Mack.
“You did!” exclaimed Walter. “Then I must—”
“Never mind. I’ll do all that’s to be done. Don’t make the least noise, because if you do the others will run away too, and we might as well be at sea in an open boat without oars or sails, as out here in this wilderness if the Kaffirs leave us. I’ll bring him back if you will lend me your horse and gun.”
“Of course I will,” said Walter. “Don’t come back till you catch him, for I don’t know what Uncle Dick would do without that rifle. He would be sorry to lose it.”
“He shan’t lose it,” answered Mack, taking Walter’s saddle and bridle out of the wagon and placing them upon the horse. “Say nothing to nobody. I’ll have him back here in no time, and if I don’t use the wagon-whip on him! Whew! I wouldn’t be in his place for no money.”
The horse was saddled and bridled in a trice, and Mack springing upon his back took the rifle Walter handed to him, and rode away in the darkness. All this passed so rapidly that it was done and Mack was out of sight before Walter fairly realized it. Then it occurred to him that it was very strange that the driver should want a horse to pursue a man on foot who had but a few minutes the start of him, but when he came to think about it, it was not so very strange either. Walter knew that some of the Kaffirs could run like deer, and he knew, too, that Mack, having been accustomed to ride on horseback ever since he was large enough to sit alone in the saddle, was very much averse to walking, and very clumsy besides; so perhaps the best thing had been done after all. He was sorry to hear of his uncle’s loss, and wondered how the Kaffir could have succeeded in obtaining possession of the weapon and stealing away without being seen by Bob, who stood where he could observe every move that was made about the tent. He waited most impatiently for Mack’s return, but could hear nothing of him—it was so dark that he could not have seen him until he was close upon the camp—and at ten o’clock he mended the fire and called his relief. Archie presently came out with his Maynard on his shoulder, and Walter told him what had happened, adding that he had been looking for Mack every minute during the last hour, and now began to fear that the Kaffir had succeeded in eluding him in the darkness. He lay down on his blanket, intending to speak to Bob about it; but the latter lingered to talk to his relief, and when he came into the tent Walter was fast asleep.