We had taken several turns, when Jim exclaimed, “Hillo! Look there!”
Gazing up in the direction to which he pointed, I saw distinctly against the sky the figure of a man. How he was dressed it was impossible to say; still, he had on clothes of some sort.
“He’s not a native savage, at all events,” said Jim. “We’ll hail him, and if he’s an Englishman he’ll answer.”
We shouted at the top of our voices, but no reply came, and the figure disappeared.
“That’s strange,” said Jim; “I thought he would have come down and had a talk with us, whoever he is. Can’t we try and find him?”
“We mustn’t both leave our post,” I answered; “but if you stop here I’ll try and get up to where he was standing, and unless he has run away he can’t be far off.”
Jim didn’t like my going, but I persuaded him to stop, and hurried across the valley. When I got to the foot of the cliff I could find no way up it, and, after searching about, had to abandon the attempt.
I returned to where I had left Jim, and we resumed our walk, thinking that perhaps the figure would again appear.
“Perhaps if he sees us he won’t show himself,” said Jim. “Wouldn’t it be better to go and stay under the trees? And then perhaps he’ll come back.”
We did as Jim proposed, keeping our eyes in the direction of the cliff, but we looked in vain for the reappearance of the stranger.