Out of the profound, mystery-laden silence came a strange sound—the distant roll of a drum. The drumbeats were measured and spaced. They came to an end, only to begin again. From time to time the guide spoke in Chinese to the doctor. At last Gale could stand it no longer.
“What does it mean? Tell me!” she begged.
“Your friend has been found. He is far in the heart of the jungle and has been injured,” said the doctor.
“How could you know that?” she demanded.
“The drums, they have told us.”
“The drums?” Gale stared.
“All the natives in these hills are our friends,” the doctor explained. “When a flier falls near a village they do all they can for him. Then, on the signal drums they beat out a message in code all their own. Other villages take up the story. In the end, it reaches us. Our guide understands the code.
“Come. We must hasten,” he added. “They are bringing your friend out of the jungle. We must go to meet them. We shall do what we can.”
CHAPTER XXVI
Count Your Men, Tojo
In the brightening dawn of that eventful day Isabelle watched Pete ride away leading the big push, atop his tank. She saw him cross the bridge that only a few hours before had not been there, then follow the river along the opposite side, only to cross and re-cross the river, then to vanish into the great unknown.