Leeboo was not slow to perceive that her chief chance of escape lay in the skill with which she might play her two lovers against each other.
Whoever married her would be king. He would rank with, but after, the queen herself, for, to the credit of these cannibals be it said, they always prefer female government.
In civilized society Leeboo might have been accused of acting mischievously; for she would take first one into favour and then the other, giving, that is, each of them a taste of the seventh heaven time about. When Kalamazoo"s star was in the ascendant, then Kaloomah was deep down in a pit of despair; but anon, he would be up and out again, and then it was Kalamazoo"s turn to weep and wail and gnash his triangular red-stained teeth.
It is needless to say that the game she was playing was a sad strain upon our poor young heroine. No wonder her eyes grew bright with that brightness which denotes loss of strength, and weariness, and that her cheeks were often far too flushed.
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, and but for little Weenah I think that Leeboo would have given up heart altogether and lain down to die.
But Weenah was always bright, cheerful, and happy. She was laughing all day long. Benee was coming for her; of that she was very certain and sure, so she sang about her absent lover even as birds in the woodlands sing, and with just as sweet a voice.
The plot was thickening and thickening, and Leeboo managed matters now so that only one of her guardians at a time accompanied herself and Weenah in their rides or rambles.
Dixie--as the pony was named--was a very faithful little horse, and though when Weenah had to trot beside him he never was allowed to go the pace, he was exceedingly strong, and could scour the plain or prairie as fleet as the wind whenever his young mistress put him on his mettle. On such occasions, no matter which of Leeboo"s admirers was with her, he dropped far astern, and after running for a mile or so, had to sit down to pant.
But the young queen always returned, and so she was trusted implicitly.
So too was Weenah, but then Weenah was one of themselves.
In their very long and toilsome march, up the Mayatata, well was it indeed for Roland and d.i.c.k that they had guides so faithful and clever as Benee and Charlie. But for them, indeed, the expedition would have been foredoomed to failure.
Benee indeed was really the guiding star. For in his own lonesome wanderings he had surveyed the whole country as it were, and knew every fitting place for a camp, every ford on every stream, and every pathway through the dense and dark forests.
They were but the pathways made by the beasts, however, and often all but impa.s.sable. Still, in single file they marched, and were always successful in making their way. Two whole months pa.s.sed away, and now, as they were nearing the cannibal highlands, greater precautions than ever were required.
And for a week they had to turn night into day, and travel while the savages slept.
They kept away, too, from any portion of the country which seemed to have the slightest claim to be called inhabited. Better they should herd with the wild beasts of the forest than sight the face of even a single savage. For swift as deer that savage would run towards the cannibal head-quarters and give information of the approach of a pale-face horde of enemies.
At last there came a day when Benee called a council of war.
"We now get near de bad man"s land," he said. "Ugh! I not lub mooch blood."
"Then what would you have us do?" said Roland. "Shall we advance boldly or make a night attack?"
"No, no, no, sah. Too many cannibal warrior, too much pizen arrow, sling, and spear. No; build here a camp. Make he strong. Benee will go all same. Benee will creep and crawl till he come to father and mother house. Den Benee make all right. Pray for Benee."
Benee left, poor Brawn bidding him a most affectionate farewell. Surely that honest dog knew he was bent on saving his little mistress, if only he could.
Charlie, the ex-cannibal, stayed in camp for the time being, but he might be useful as a spy afterwards.
It is needless to say that the prayers of both our heroes were offered up night and day for Benee"s success, and that their blessings followed him.
But we do not always receive the answers that would appear to us the best to our prayers, however earnest and heartfelt they may be. Still, we know well, though we are generally very loth to admit it, that afflictions are very often blessings in disguise.
And now Benee was once more all alone on the war-path, and he followed his old tactics, creeping quietly through the jungle only by night, and retiring into hiding whenever day began to obliterate the stars. Roland gave orders for the camp to be immediately fortified. It was certainly a well-chosen one, on the top of a wooded hill.
This hill was scarcely a hundred feet high, but although it might be taken by siege, its position rendered it almost impregnable as far as a.s.sault was concerned.
A rampart with a trench was thrown round three sides of it. That was apparently all that would be needed.
Looking from below by daylight even, hardly a savage could have told that an enemy held the hill.
And now there was nothing to do but to wait. And waiting is always wearisome work.
But let us follow Benee.
His progress was slow, but it was sure, and at last he reached the cottage where good Shooks-gee and his wife resided.
But here was no one save his "mother", as Benee lovingly called her.
A great fear took possession of his mind. Could it be that his father himself was dead, and that Weenah was captive?
His lips and voice almost refused to formulate the question nearest to his heart.
But his mother"s smile rea.s.sured him. Weenah was safe, and at the court of the queen, and Shooks-gee himself was there. So Benee grew hopeful once more.
But his task would be by no means an easy one.
First and foremost he must establish communication between the captive girl and himself. How could this be done?
Had Shooks-gee been at home it might have been managed simply enough.
But he himself dared not appear anywhere in sight of the savages.
He felt almost baffled, but at last his mother came to his rescue.
The risk would be extreme. These cannibal savages are as suspicious of strangers as they are fierce and bloodthirsty, and if this poor, kindly-hearted woman was taken for a spy her doom would be sealed.
But see the young queen she must, or little Weenah, her daughter; for great though Benee"s abilities were, he did not possess the accomplishment of writing.
Dressed as one of the lowest of peasants, the mother of Weenah set boldly out on her forlorn hope the very next day, and in the afternoon she was within one mile of the palace itself.
Here she hid herself in the jungle, and after eating a little fruit went to sleep.
The stars were still shining when she awoke, but she knew them all, and those that were setting told her that day would soon break.
To pa.s.s through the soldier-guards and enter the palace would, she knew, be an utter impossibility. There was nothing for it but to wait with patience, for her husband had told her that the queen rode out for a scamper over the plains every forenoon.
He had even told her the direction she usually took, not riding fast, but with Weenah running by her side, keeping a long way ahead of her lover guardian, whichever one of them might happen for the time being to be the happy man.
Benee"s mother was as courageous as a mountain cat. She had a duty to perform, and she meant to carry it out.
Well, we are told in some old cla.s.sic that fortune favours the brave.