His astonishment may be imagined when, at the very first effort, the rope which bound him parted and left his hands free!
He was scarcely able to realize it for a moment, and lay with his hands still behind his back, trying to grasp the fact that he was at liberty, or partially so, at any rate. His heart gave a great bound of joy. There was no doubt, however, that his enemies were nearby, and the thought made him cautious.
Slowly and silently he raised his hands to his head and grasped the handkerchief which still bound his eyes. It was only loosely tied, and a single pull was sufficient to remove it. The eagerness with which he glanced about him may be imagined. The first sight that met his eyes was the stars; then, realizing that in the darkness he was not so likely to be observed, he bent swiftly forward to the rope that bound his feet.
This, too, he found but loosely tied, and it took him but a few seconds to loosen it, after which he turned his head anxiously and glanced about him. He found himself, apparently, in the midst of an open country, in the shadow of a tall tree. What surprised him most of all was the fact that he saw nothing to indicate that anyone was near.
“They do not seem very careful to guard me,” Roberts thought, “after all the pains they took to capture me.”
However, there was no time to spend in debating that question. His only thought was to make the most of his opportunity and escape from that spot as quickly as possible.
He raised himself and began silently to make his way along the ground. He was still weak, but for all that he managed to make good time. As he crept along he found that he was on a road, and his first impulse was to reach the thicket at one side. Once in the shade of this he rose to his feet, considerably emboldened by his success. He still saw no one and heard no sounds to indicate that his escape had been discovered, so he set out somewhat more boldly, creeping through the underbrush.
He was almost beside himself with delight at his sudden and unexpected good fortune. He knew that every step he took was carrying him more and more to safety, for the nature of the country told him that it would be almost impossible for his enemies, whoever they might be, to find him again. “It was a terrible experience,” he thought to himself. “This end of it seems almost like an anti-climax.”
When he was far enough away to be sure that there was no danger of his steps being heard he broke into a run, nor did he stop until he was completely exhausted.
By that time he knew that he had put fully half a mile of the dense jungle between himself and any possible pursuers. He sat down on the ground to recover his breath and think over the strange situation.