"I will get over," said Jem, almost fiercely. "Wait a little while, Mas" Don."
"I can"t wait, Jem," he whispered. "I feel now as if I must act. But one minute: I don"t like leaving these poor creatures in their helplessness."
"More do I; but what can we do? They won"t stir to help themselves.
Only thing seems to me is to get away, and try and find some one who will come and punish the brutes as brought us here."
Don"s heart sank, but he knew that his companion"s words were those of truth, and after a little hesitation he touched Jem with his hand, and then began to crawl slowly across the open s.p.a.ce toward the fence.
He looked back to make sure that Jem was following, but the darkness was so thick now, that even at that short distance he could not see him.
Just then a touch on his foot set him at rest, and he crept softly on, listening to the low muttering of the men at the gate, and wondering whether he could find the rough part of the fence to which Jem had directed his attention.
As he crept on he began to wonder next whether the prisoners would miss them, and do or say anything to call the attention of the guard; but all remained still, save that the Maoris laughed aloud at something one of them had said.
This gave him confidence, and ceasing his crawling movement, he rose to his hands and feet, and crept on all fours to the fence, where he rose now to an erect position, and began to feel about for the rough post.
Jem was up and by him directly after. Don placed his lips to his ear.
"Whereabouts was it?"
"Somewhere "bout here. You try one way, and I"ll try the other,"
whispered Jem; and then Don gripped his arm, and they stood listening, for a faint rustling sound seemed to come from outside.
The noise was not repeated; but for quite half an hour they remained listening, till, gaining courage from the silence--the Maori guard only speaking from time to time, and then in a low, drowsy voice--Don began to follow Jem"s suggestion, feeling post after post, and sometimes pa.s.sing his arm through. But every one of the stout pales he touched was smooth and unclimbable without some help; and thinking that perhaps he had missed the place, he began to move back in the darkness, straining his ears the while to catch any sound made by his companion.
But all was perfectly still, and every pale he touched was smooth and regular, set, too, so close to the next that there was not the slightest chance of even a child creeping through.
All at once there was a rustling sound on his left.
"Jem has found it," he thought; and he pressed forward toward where he had parted from Jem, pa.s.sing one hand along the pales, the other extended so as to touch his companion as soon as they were near.
The rustling sound again close at hand; but he dare not speak, only creep on in the dense blackness, straining his eyes to see; and his ears to catch his companion"s breath.
"Ah!"
Don uttered a sigh of satisfaction, for it was painful to be alone at such a time, and he had at last touched the strong st.u.r.dy arm which was slightly withdrawn, and then the hand gripped him firmly.
Don remained motionless, listening for the danger which must be threatening, or else Jem would have spoken; but at last the silence became so irksome that the prisoner raised his left hand to grasp Jem"s wrist.
But it was not Jem"s wrist. It was bigger and stouter; and quick as thought Don ran his hand along the arm to force back the holder of his arm, when to his horror, he found that the limb had been thrust through one of the openings of the fence, and he was a prisoner to some fierce chief who had suspected the design to escape, held in so strong a grip, that had he dared to struggle to free himself, it would not have been possible to drag the fettered arm away.
"Jem! Help!" was on his lips, but he uttered no cry, only breathlessly listened to a deep panting from the outer side of the _pah_.
CHAPTER FORTY FOUR.
AFTER SUSPENSE.
What would happen? A powerful savage had hold of him firmly, had caught him just as he was about to escape; and the next thing would be that he would feel a spear driven through the opening between the pales, and that spear would run him through and through.
His first idea was to give warning of the danger, but he dared not call, and Jem was apparently beyond hearing of the rustling and panting noise which could still be heard.
Directly after Don determined to wrest his arm away, and dart back into the darkness.
But the hand which held him still gripped with a force which made this impossible; and in despair and dread he was about to fling himself down, when Jem came gliding up out of the darkness, and touched his cold, wet face.
"I"ve found the post, Mas" Don!" he whispered.
Don caught him with his disengaged hand, and placed Jem"s against the arm which held him.
For a few moments Jem seemed unable to grasp the situation, for nothing was visible. Then he placed his lips once more close to Don"s ear.
"Wait a moment till I"ve opened my knife."
"No, no," whispered Don in a horrified tone. "It is too dreadful."
"Then let"s both try together, and wrench your arm away."
A peculiar hissing sound came at that moment from the outside of the _pah_, and Don felt his arm jerked.
"My pakeha! My pakeha!"
"Why, it"s Ngati!" whispered Don joyfully; and he laid his disengaged hand on the ma.s.sive fist which held him.
The grasp relaxed on the instant, and Don"s hand was seized, and held firmly.
"It"s Ngati, Jem," whispered Don, "come to help us."
"Good luck to him!" said Jem eagerly; and he felt for the chiefs great hand, to pat it, and grasp it in a friendly way.
His grasp was returned, and then they listened as Ngati put his face to the opening, and whispered a few words, the only part of which they could understand being,--
"My pakeha. Come."
"Yes; we want to come," whispered Don.
"Tomati. Gone," came back, and then the chief said something rapidly in his own tongue.
Don sighed, for he could not comprehend a word.
"It"s no good trying, Mas" Don," whispered Jem; "and if we don"t try to get away, we mayn"t have a chance to-morrow. Let"s--Here it is. Quick!
I"ve got it. You climb up first, get over the top, and hang by your hands, and wait till I come. We must both drop together, and then be off. Oh, if we could only make him understand. What a fool of a language his is."
Don could not even then help thinking that Ngati might have said the same, but he did not lose a moment. Loosening his hold of the chiefs hand, he whispered,--
"Pakeha. Come." Then giving himself up to the guidance of Jem, his hands were placed upon a rough post, and he began to climb, Jem helping him, somewhat after the fashion in which he had once a.s.sisted him to reach the window.
Then, almost noiselessly, he reached the top, climbed over with ease by the aid of the lashings, and getting a tight hold of the strong fibrous bands, he lowered himself down to await Jem"s coming.