Bunyip Land: A Story of Adventure in New Guinea
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CHAPTER EIGHT.
HOW I RAN FROM THE WHITEBIRD CATCHERS.
Yes, I may as well own to it: I was terribly frightened, but my firstthoughts were as to what had become of my companions. Jack Penny andthe doctor must have been seized at the same time as I. Jimmy mighthave managed to escape. Perhaps his black skin would make him be lookedupon as a friend. But the old captain, what about him? He would returnto the schooner with his men and be seized, and knocked on the head forcertain. The fierce resistance he would make certainly would cause hisdeath, and I shuddered at the thought.
Then I began to think of my mother and father, how I should have failedin helping them; and I remember thinking what a good job it was that mymother would never know exactly what had happened to me. Better thelong anxiety, I thought, of watching and waiting for my return than toknow I had been killed like this.
"But I'm not killed yet," I thought, as the blood flushed to my face."I'll have a run for it, if I can."
I had not much time given me to think, for I was dragged to my feet, andout into a large open place where there were huts and trees, and therebefore me lay the sea with our schooner, but the other was gone; and asI recalled the fire of the previous night I knew that she must have beenburned to the water's edge and then sunk.
I began wondering about what must have been the fate of the otherschooner's crew, and somehow it seemed that they deserved it. Then Ibegan thinking of my own friends, and then, very selfishly no doubt,about myself.
But I had little time for thought, being hurried along and placed in themiddle of a crowd of the savages, all of whom seemed to be rolling theireyes and looking at me as if enjoying my position.
"Well," I thought to myself, "it is enough to scare anybody; but I'lltry and let them see that I belong to a superior race, and will not showwhat I feel."
My eyes kept wandering about eagerly, first to look where my companionswere placed, but as I saw no sign of them I began to hope that theymight have escaped; secondly, to see which would be the best course totake if I ran for my life. For I could run, and pretty swiftly, then.The hardy life I had led out in the bush, with Jimmy for my companion,had made me light of foot and tolerably enduring.
But for some little time I saw not the slightest chance of escape.There were too many savages close about me, and they must have divinedmy ideas, for they kept a watchful eye upon every act.
At first I had felt numbed and cold. My legs and arms ached, and whenthe blacks took off the rope that they had bound about my limbs everynerve seemed to throb and burn; but by degrees this passed off, and tomy great joy I felt more myself.
At last, after a great deal of incomprehensible chatter, it seemed thata decision had been come to about me, and a tall black armed with awar-club came dancing up to me, swinging his weapon about, chatteringwildly, and after a few feints he made a blow at my head.
If that blow had taken effect I should not have been able to tell thisstory. But I had been too much with my friend Jimmy not to be well uponthe alert. We had often played together--he like a big boy--in mimicfight, when he had pretended to spear me, and taught me how to catch thespear on a shield, and to avoid blows made with waddies. Jimmy'slessons were not thrown away. I could avoid a thrown spear, thoughhelpless, like the black, against bullets, which he said came "too muchfaster faster to top." And as the savage made the blow at me I followedout Jimmy's tactics, threw myself forward, striking the wretch right inthe chest with my head, driving him backward, and leaping over him I ranfor my life, making straight for the forest.
"It's all because of those wretches in the other schooner yesterday," Ithought, as I ran swiftly on with a pack of the enemy shouting in myrear; and though I could run very fast, I found, to my horror, that mypursuers were as swift of foot, and that though I was close upon theforest it was all so open that they would be able to see me easily, andonce caught I knew now what was to be my fate.
I began thinking of the hunted hare, as I ran on, casting glances behindme from time to time, and seeing that though some of my pursuers lagged,there were four who were pretty close upon my heels, one of whom hurledhis spear at me, which came whizzing past my ear so closely that itlightly touched my shoulder, making me leap forward as if struck by theweapon.
I was panting heavily, and a choking sensation came upon me, but I racedon, since it was for life.
How long the pursuit lasted I cannot tell. Perhaps a minute. It seemedhalf an hour. Twice I leaped aside to avoid blows aimed at me, and eachtime ran blindly in a fresh direction; but all at once the idea occurredto me in a flash that in my unnerved stupefied position I must have beengoing backward and struck my head violently against a tree, for itseemed as if there was a violent shock like thunder with a flash oflightning to dazzle my eyes, and then there was nothing at all.