"Yes, there it is, sure enough!" said Jack, and at the same instant Harry made an identical exclamation.
We went forward at full speed, you may be sure. The fluttering of that handkerchief in the tree was nothing to the fluttering of our hearts—I do not make any exception for Jack's, Harry's, or mine; it was a moment of great excitement to us all.
As we neared the tree we saw tawny forms at its base; at the sound of our hoof-beats the forms rose and resolved themselves into lions, which slunk away in the direction opposite to which we had come. We rode for them, but they quickened their pace and disappeared. As soon as they did so we drew rein under the tree.
There were both the women in the limbs of the tree! They had not fainted, but both were crying, and the elder one was hysterical.
"We knew you would come," said Miss Boland; "we knew you would come; but oh, the time has been so long!"
"Of course we would come," said Jack, "just as soon as we heard of it; what else could you expect of us?"
"We were afraid you couldn't find the way," she replied, drying her tears and regaining her self-possession.
"We were guided here by your clever horses," Jack replied; "had it not been for them it would have been a very difficult matter for us to find you. But come, come down from the tree; you're perfectly safe now."
Mrs. Roberts quickly recovered herself, and then the two came down to the solid ground.
As soon as they reached it I begged them to excuse me a moment, while I rode away to call the manager with the horses. I did not have far to go, as he had followed slowly on our track from the moment we left him. Then I rode back to the tree and joined the group.