The boy whom young Jack had rescued, and who decoyed them to their ruin, disappeared at once.
"Jack," said Harry Girdwood, when recovered from the first shock, "we are done for."
"No mistake about that," returned young Jack, gloomily.
"Well, well, it is no fault of ours; that is some consolation."
"A precious poor consolation, since here we are."
"Yes."
Here they were interrupted by their captors.
"Move on!"
The voice was Hunston"s, and that sufficed for young Jack to show signs of opposition.
Vain obstacle.
The ruffians were only glad of the slightest pretext for further brutality.
"We are quite comfortable where we are," said young Jack.
"Insolent brat!" said Hunston contemptuously. "You shall be birched well for that."
The colour mounted to the boy"s face in spite of himself.
"You can threaten in safety, fellow," said young Harkaway, turning and facing their old enemy, "since you have so many backers to protect you."
Hunston grew livid.
"You wretched sp.a.w.n of a hated race," he e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed between his teeth, "do you dare speak to me?"
"There is not much daring required," retorted Jack, boldly.
The words were barely uttered when Hunston dealt the boy a buffet which nearly sent him to the earth; but young Jack was pretty prompt in returning it.
This was a kind of debt which the Harkaways were not long in acquitting.
Quick as lightning recovering himself, he turned and leapt upon Hunston, and taking him unexpectedly, he toppled him over and fell upon him, clutching him by the throat.
"Now I"ll show you what it is to lay your dirty ringers on a Harkaway,"
exclaimed the boy, glaring into the other"s face.
"Let go, or--"
"My father trounced you before he was my age" cried the boy excitedly, "and now I"ll finish you that you--"
But he was not allowed to complete his threat.
Rough and muscular hands dragged him off.
Else had Hunston fared badly.
It was all momentary, but no sooner had the brigands perceived their comrade to be in danger than they seized hold of the young prisoner and dragged him off.
Hunston sprang to his feet, and knife in hand rushed upon the boy, but the others interfered and placed themselves between the boy and the man.
"Come, Hunston," said one of the men, "let him alone."
"But he has struck me."
"You provoked it."
"What then? Shall I take a blow from such as he?"
"You were wrong to strike a child--a child too that is unarmed."
Hunston hung his head at this way of putting it.
"No matter; he shall die for this."
"Perhaps so; but meanwhile, there is possibility of ransom. The interests of the band can not be allowed to suffer for you."
Hunston was silent.
He sheathed his knife, but his silent resolves were not less murderous for being unuttered.
"Lead the way, Simon," said the brigand who appeared to be chief spokesman.
Simon stepped onward, and behind him young Jack and Harry were forced to march.
They were walking into captivity, but they could not help themselves; and so they wisely obeyed, so as not to give their captors fresh excuse for further barbarity.
The road which Simon led them was a gloomy and narrow defile that wound precipitously up among the hills.
Sometimes the rocks overhung the road, so that the sky was barely visible, and here and there heaven was altogether obscured, for they had to walk through tunnels in the solid rock--too solid apparently to have been worked by the hand of man.
On they walked upon the gloomy track, the silence only broken by the echo of their own footfalls.
Any thing so desolate our boys had never beheld.
A dull settled feeling of loneliness and despair fell upon the two boy prisoners.
After journeying in this way for about two miles they came unexpectedly (to them--for of course Simon the guide knew where he was leading the party) upon a circular opening among the hills, beneath which was what appeared to be a table land of dark earth or peat.
"A swamp," said Harry Girdwood.
"It looks like a bog," said young Jack, "but yet I can see something moving."