“How was it that they carried him off, and you escaped alive? I can’t think how they let you off when you were once down and at their mercy?”
“Oh, I made a pretty good fit of it, I reckon, with the butt-end of my rifle, and giv’ both them red devils somethin’ to remember Seth Allport by!—For there was two on ’em at me, as soon as Sailor Bill rushed in atween me an’ the fust Injun.”
“Did the boy really help you?” said Mr Rawlings in some surprise; for, as has been previously related, Sailor Bill had never exhibited any trace of emotional feeling from the time of his being picked up at sea, save on that memorable occasion immediately afterwards, when, it may be remembered, he rushed out of the cabin when the ship was taken aback.
“He did so,” answered Seth, “an’ the curiosest part of it wer he looked jest the same frightened like as when he saved me aboard the Susan Jane, with his har all on end—jes so.”
“It’s very extraordinary,” said Mr Rawlings; “and then they carried him off?”
“Waal, I was making a good fit of it as I told you, an’ when Sailor Bill rushes to help me a second Injun started up and collars him; and then I heard that air blessed dawg bark, and I knowed what it wer, an’ so did the Injuns too; for as I shouted out to let yer know whar we wer, they made tracks with pore Bill, lugging him off atween them over thaar,” said Seth, pointing eastwards, where, however, nothing could now be seen. “And that’s all you know about it?” said Mr Rawlings.
“Jes so,” replied Seth.
At the same moment the negro Jasper, who had been gazing fixedly in the direction in which Ernest Wilton had gone for aid, uttered an exclamation of frenzied delight, and began to caper about.
“Golly, Massa Rawlings,” cried he, “dere dey is! dere dey is!”
The negro was right. As he spoke Mr Rawlings and Seth could see a body of men advancing over the crest of the plateau, accompanied by a waggon drawn by a pair of mules. The young engineer had accomplished his mission well. Instead of publishing his news aloud, and thereby creating a commotion amongst the miners who would have all wished to rush off en masse to the assistance of Mr Rawlings and Seth Allport, both much liked by all, and the rescue of Sailor Bill, whom the men had got also attached to in the same way as the crew of the Susan Jane, Ernest drew Noah Webster on one side, and briefly told him what had occurred and what Mr Rawlings had ordered to be done.