I strained my ears to catch any sound beyond the slow trickling of the water from the spring, but, alas! could distinguish nothing.
Suddenly, however, I heard a dull report above, followed quickly by a second, and then another in the distance, and another. At first I listened much puzzled; but next moment I realised the truth.
There was a shooting-party in the vicinity!
CHAPTER XX.
FROM THE TOMB.
Again I shouted—yelled aloud with all my might. I placed my hands to my mouth, making a trumpet of them, and shouted upwards:
"Help! For God's sake! Help! I'm down here—dying! Help!—Help!"
A dozen times I yelled my appeal, but with the same negative result. Whoever had fired in the vicinity was either too far away, or too occupied with his sport to hear me.
I heard another shot fired—more distant than the rest. Then my heart sank within me—the party were receding.