The River of Darkness; Or, Under Africa Read online

  CHAPTER XXII.

  AN UNWELCOME VISITOR.

  Guy's stirring speech was just what was needed to rouse the flaggingspirits of the party, for the colonel's graphic description of thecontemplated journey had produced a very depressing effect.

  Preparations for the start were begun at once. The two canoes were firsttested and found to be absolutely seaworthy. Then the provisions, thetorches, the lamps, the oil flasks, and the rugs were divided into twoparts and stowed away.

  It was decided that Guy should be accompanied by Forbes and Sir Arthurin the first boat, and that Canaris and the colonel should follow in thesecond. For economy one torch was to be used for illuminating their way,and this Sir Arthur was to hold in the rear of the canoe. Eight paddleshad been found in the cavern, thus providing an extra supply in case ofpossible loss.

  It was difficult to believe that the sun was shining brightly outside.No ray of light pierced the blackness of the cavern, and the deadsilence was unbroken by the first sound, though at that very moment theGallas and the Abyssinians were probably waging a bloody battle almostoverhead. Henceforth day and night were one, all trace of time would belost, and whether any of that imprisoned band would ever see the lightof day again or breathe the free, open air, the future alone could tell.

  It was a solemn and impressive moment, and Guy's voice had a touch ofhuskiness in it as he ordered the canoes to be carried to the water.

  A last survey of the cavern was made to see that nothing was forgotten,and then all took their places in silence, the canoes swung slowly outfrom shore, and, caught by the current, shot off into the gloom on thefirst stage of the most awful journey ever made by Englishmen.

  Guy sat slightly in front of the stern, keeping the canoe straight withan occasional touch of the paddle, for the velocity of the current madelabor unnecessary, and close behind him was Sir Arthur, holding theflaring torch that lit up the water for a short distance ahead andserved to guide the second canoe, which was only a few yards behind.

  "If this current continues all the way," observed Forbes, "eight hundredmiles will be nothing at all."

  "Yes, if no bad rapids are encountered," replied Guy. "There arecertainly none very near, or we could hear them plainly."

  "I don't think we need fear that very much," called out the colonel fromthe rear canoe. "The altitude of this part of Africa is not so highabove the sea. The valley overhead is a pretty deep one, and this riveris some distance beneath. Moreover, those natives would hardly have madean annual cruise down the river if the channel were very dangerous."

  "It was their custom to start at the close of the rainy season," saidthe Greek, "when the river was high and swollen."

  "Don't mention rapids, I beg of you," cried Sir Arthur. "It makes menervous. I can't stand it at all."

  For an hour or more they traveled on in almost unbroken silence. Oneither side the shore was invisible, and overhead the glare of the torchrevealed only black, empty space. The same intense silence prevailed,not even the faintest murmur of the river being audible.

  This peaceful monotony, however, was rudely shattered. A low hummingsound was heard in the distance, which rapidly increased in volume, andleft no room to doubt that a course of rapids was below. At Guy'ssuggestion Forbes relieved Sir Arthur of the torch, and scarcely hadthis change been effected when the current carried them into a swirlingmass of spray.

  Both canoes grated and bumped against rocks, and then, before thefrightened occupants could realize that it was over, the sullen roar wasfading away in the distance, and the smooth current was bearing themrapidly ahead.

  This little episode considerably relieved their minds. If no moredangerous water than that lay before them, there was little cause forapprehension. A skilled eye and a strong hand would overcome thedifficulty.

  Presently, for the first time, rocky walls appeared, now on one side,now on the other, but they fell sheer to the water, and gave noopportunity for landing. The atmosphere of the cavern was pure andfresh, a fact not readily accounted for, since no glimmer of daylightwas anywhere visible.

  Guy began to grow sleepy, a sensation which was shared by hiscompanions, for it was many hours since they had had any rest. It wasimpossible to tell how long or how far they had traveled. All passage oftime was lost, and the periods for eating and sleeping must be regulatedby their own feelings. Instinct goes wrong in such cases; yet there waslittle doubt that the night had come.

  A sharp lookout was kept on the shores, but, as the current swept thempast the same monotonous ledges without a break, it began to look asthough they would be compelled to take turns at sleeping in the bottomof the canoes.

  They were paddling close along the right shore when a sudden cry fromCanaris, who was almost abreast of the other boat, and farther out inthe current, attracted general attention, and peering out on the riverthey saw a dim object some yards away.

  The current bore them past it, but by dint of hard paddling the canoeswere headed diagonally up stream, and a few moments later a landing wasmade on the lower end of a small spit of white sand, ten or fifteenyards in diameter.

  It sloped gently to the water's edge, and in the center was a cluster ofsmooth, water-worn stones.

  It was a perfect haven of refuge to the weary and exhausted voyagers,and with thankful hearts they hauled the canoes upon the strip of beachand spread out the rugs in readiness for a few hours' sleep.

  They ate sparingly of crackers and dates, for Guy had assumed charge ofthe commissary department and dispensed supplies with no liberal hand,the wisdom of which was readily acknowledged by all.

  The torch had been stuck end up in the sand, and its cheerful glow threwa radiance over all the little island and caused the silvery white sandto sparkle brilliantly.

  They stretched themselves out on the rugs near the center of the island,and as soon as they were arranged comfortably Guy rigorouslyextinguished the torch and hunted his place in the darkness.

  No thought of fear entered their mind. On all sides was the deep andrapid river. Whence could an enemy come? In five minutes not a man wasawake. Even Sir Arthur was snoring profoundly, dreaming perhaps of thesnug quarters in the residence at Zaila, from which he had been sorudely ousted a few short weeks before.

  Guy was dreaming, too, but far different were the visions that coursedthrough his brain. For the twentieth time he was living over again hisawful experiences of the previous year. Once more he was a prisoner inthe rajah's fortress, and Nana Sahib's cannons were awaiting theirvictim on the massive stone platform. Now he was being led out to die inthe midst of his companions, the fiendish faces all about him, theHindoos stood by the touch-holes with lighted torches. Now they werebinding him, the gaping muzzle was pressing his back----

  Then he woke and sat up, trembling from head to foot, the dankperspiration standing in beads on his forehead. Thank God it was only adream. The rajah's fortress was thousands of miles away.

  Suddenly a faint sound reached his ear, so indistinct that he couldhardly be sure he heard anything at all. He listened a moment, but itwas not repeated.

  "Some of the fellows stirring in their sleep," he muttered, and givingthe matter no further thought, he lay down again.

  But as soon as his head touched the sand the sound was repeated, andthis time it was more definable--a steady, rustling noise, with anoccasional low splash that seemed to come from the water.

  It was caused by none of his companions, for they all lay on his left,while the alarming noise seemed to come from the right.

  Guy was a brave man, but in his nervous condition, resulting from therecent dream, this new alarm was too much, and he felt a cold chill rundown his spine.

  Giving Forbes, who was next him, a gentle shake, he drew himself to hisfeet, and taking a match from his pocket, rubbed it with a tremblinghand across the front of his trousers.

  It struck fire instantly, and as the sudden flare lit up the wholeextent of the island the match dr
opped from Guy's nerveless fingers andhe started back with a cry of horror that echoed horribly through thegloomy recesses of the cavern.