‘This chase he has led us has been a blind,’ said Edgar. ‘If we had taken ordinary precautions we ought to have found out he was doubling back.’
‘Only a bushman would have found that out,’ said Will. ‘I do not see how we can blame ourselves.’
‘We have had enough experience the last few months to have found that out,’ said Edgar. ‘By Jove! there he is, I believe.’
There was a horseman in front of them, but they could not see the second horse. They rode on faster now, but did not gain much ground. A rise in the land hid the man from view, and soon after he disappeared they heard a shot. This made them ride all the faster, and they quickly reached the top of the rise, and had a good view of the plain beyond.
‘He fired that shot to warn his mate,’ said Will. ‘We cannot be far from the camp now.’
‘I’ll fire,’ said Edgar; ‘and if Yacka hears the two shots he will probably divine we are in pursuit.’
He fired a shot from his revolver as they rode on.
‘There’s the place we camped at,’ said Edgar, pointing to two or three tall trees: ‘but I see nothing of Yacka or the other men.’
They rode up to the place, and found the camp deserted. There was blood upon the ground and signs of a struggle, but they imagined this must have been caused by Yacka dragging the wounded man along. Edgar called out ‘Yacka!’ and gave a loud ‘cooee,’ and after waiting a few moments they heard a faint response. They rode in the direction of the sound, and, rounding a clump of trees on a mound, came upon a strange sight.
Stretched on the ground was one of the robbers, the man they supposed they had left with Yacka. This man had been strangled, and was dead. Near him sat Yacka with a strange expression on his face. When the black saw them he gave a faint moan, and pressed his hand to his side.