Without stopping to think that they might need the cartridges more at some future time, Gil discharged two barrels of his revolver at random, and in reply came more missiles, one of which knocked Andy senseless.
Both the boys would have sprung to his side, but that the mate restrained them, as he said, sharply:
“There’s no time to attend to him; we’ve got to look out for ourselves, an’ it’s time something——”
At that instant a loud cheer, unmistakably from the throats of white people, was heard, and Jenkins cried, excitedly:
“Here comes the captain! I know that shout; but I’m blest if I understand how he could have got here so quick. Now we shall see the imps take to their heels, an’ I’d like to have a chance to help them along.”
Before he could say anything more, Gil saw his father’s face peering over the edge of the shaft, and the revulsion of feeling from such a depth of despair to that of certainty his troubles were at an end, caused him to reel and relapse into a state of semi-unconsciousness, which was not very far removed from a veritable fainting spell.
CHAPTER XXXII.
THE DEPARTURE.
In the shortest possible space of time the entire situation was changed.
Captain Mansfield was accompanied by half-a-dozen men, all fully armed, and they at once proceeded to help the little party out of the shaft, Andy being the first who was sent to the surface.