CHAPTER XXXV.
BILDAD DRINKS NEW LIFE.
The stricken man had no time to utter another cry. The lion--for such itproved to be--paused a moment, with uplifted head, snarling angrily. Thetorch had been flung back a yard or more toward the water, and wasspluttering on the damp sand.
Guy's companions were helpless with fear and dread. Forbes alone hadself-possession enough to remember that he had a revolver. It was notloaded, and he trembled so much that he could scarcely draw the shellsfrom his pocket.
"Hurry! Hurry!" whispered the colonel. "The brute may tear him apart anymoment."
Meanwhile Guy lay white and motionless in the grasp of the lion. Not amuscle quivered, and his eyes were closed.
Suddenly, as Forbes was nervously ramming the shells into the revolver,the beast turned on his prey with a vicious growl and seized Guy's armloosely in his mighty jaws. In another instant Chutney would have beendragged off, but help was to come from an unlooked-for source.
With a single bound Bildad sprang out upon the sand, brandishing a hugespear that Canaris had brought with him from the lake.
Another leap carried him within a yard or two of the lion, and theamazed spectators had a brief vision of the enraged beast quivering fora spring at the audacious African.
Then the spear flashed in the torchlight, and as Bildad sprang to oneside, the lion, with a mighty roar, toppled over on the sand--dead. Thespear had pierced his heart.
For an instant no one realized what had happened. The lion in his fallhad cleared his victim entirely, and before any one thought of movingforward Guy pulled himself to his feet and staggered feebly toward theraft. Melton ran forward just in time to catch him in his arms.
"Thank God," he exclaimed fervently. "You are not hurt, Chutney?"
"No, I think not," was Guy's response; "only stunned and bruised alittle. It was a close call."
"Close! I should say it was. It's the first time I ever saw a lionkilled in that way. Bildad saved your life, for Melton could never havekilled the brute with that toy he has there."
A strange sound suddenly diverted their attention to Bildad.
The savage was ripping open the dead lion's throat with a spear, andthrowing himself on his knees, he lapped up greedily the red blood as itflowed from the wound.
It was a horrible and fascinating sight. He drank long and deeply, andwhen at length he rose from his savage feast the ferocity of the lionseemed actually to have flowed into his own veins, so horrible anddemon-like was the expression on his dusky face.
Shaking the blood-stained spear, he shouted two or three times in afrenzied manner, and then tottering to the raft, flung himself among therugs.
"We are saved," cried Forbes with sudden inspiration. "There lies meatin plenty."
Melton's words caused a speedy revulsion of feeling. The colonel shoutedfor very joy, and Canaris sprang toward the dead lion with drawn knife.
"Cut off as much of the meat as you can," said Guy. "Here, give me mysaber. Let me help."
He turned to reach it, but a sudden weakness came over him, and he wascompelled to lie down on the rugs. The colonel, in deep alarm, made ahasty examination to see if he had sustained any injury, but with theexception of a severe bruising and a slight laceration of the left arm,caused by the lion's teeth, he appeared to be all right.
Melton and Canaris were just on the point of cutting into the dead lionwith their sabers, the only weapons that remained to them, when a fierceroar echoed through the cavern, repeated two or three times in rapidsuccession, and in the gloom they could see a pair of shining eyes.
"Run for the raft," cried the Greek; and, as they reached the shore, asuperb lioness bounded forward and stood by the body of her mate.
"See!" cried the colonel, pointing a trembling finger. "Two more lionscoming out of the cavern. Push the raft into the water at once or weshall be devoured."
The danger was indeed imminent, and yet, in their starving condition, itwas hard to leave all that meat behind. Forbes, impelled by some madimpulse, pointed his revolver at the angry lioness, but Guy grasped hisarm before he could pull the trigger. Two more lions were now in plainview, stalking slowly out of the shadows.
"The pistol is useless," said Guy. "We dare not resist. We must get awayas silently as possible."
The raft had been tossed but lightly upon the beach, and with but littleeffort it was pushed free of the shore and trembled on the water.
A loud roar close at hand caused them to fall on board in frantic haste,and as the swift current whirled them away the three lions trotted downto the water's edge and howled in concert.
"We may be thankful we got away with whole skins," said Chutney. "It wasa great misfortune to have to abandon all that meat, but a delay or anattempt at resistance would have cost us our lives."
"It means starvation," said Melton bitterly. "Those lions came down fromthe open air to drink. That hole in the rocks led out of the cavern, Ihave no doubt, and we could have followed it up and perhaps found food,or we might even have abandoned the cavern entirely and finished ourjourney on top of ground. We must be close to the coast now."
This statement of what "might have been" sent their spirits down to thelowest ebb. They realized that Melton was undoubtedly right. Safety hadactually been within their grasp, but the lions had driven them off, andnow they were doomed to almost certain death by starvation. Even hadthey chosen to go back and risk the chances it was too late, for thecurrent had taken them far from the spot, and the sandy shores had givenway to perpendicular walls of rock.
The torch continued to burn brightly, a piece of extravagance thatcalled forth no rebuke.
The journey continued amid unbroken silence. Sir Arthur and Bildad wereboth asleep, though it was no peaceful slumber, to judge from theirrestless tossings.
Sir Arthur's illness had now lasted a week. It was more of a nervousattack than anything else, but without food it was hopeless to look forrecovery. He was extremely weak, and lay most of the time in a stupor.
The painful bruises Guy had sustained kept him awake much longer thanthe rest, but at last he too fell asleep.
Thus several hours passed away, and they awoke in utter darkness. Thetorch had burnt out during the night, but Guy recklessly lit another.
The river was flowing rapidly among scattered rocks, and as the raftapproached a jagged ledge that cropped up from the water, a dark objectwas seen clinging to it.
"Why, it is our lost canoe," said Forbes as they drew near. "Help mecatch it, Chutney. We will pass close to it."
The raft struck the edge of the rocks, and as it swung round with thecurrent they grasped the end of the canoe and pulled it on board.
"It will do for firewood," said Guy. "We won't have to travel in thedark any more."
"Yes, yes; build a fire," said Sir Arthur feebly, sitting up among therugs. "I'm cold, Chutney; icy cold. Have we come to the end of thecavern yet?"
"He seems a little better," whispered the colonel, coming close up toGuy. "Do you know, Chutney, I've been thinking for the last hour that wemust surely be near the end of the river. Since first we entered thiscavern we have traveled eight hundred miles. Calculate the rate of speedat which the current flows, and you must see that I am right. Moreover,we cannot be very far beneath the surface of the earth. Those lions donot dwell in the cavern. They only came down for water."
"I believe you are right," said Guy. "Two more days will tell. If wedon't reach the open air in that time--well, it won't matter after thatwhether we reach it or not. I can hardly stand on my feet, and as forthe torments of hunger, I need not speak of that. You know themyourself."
"Yes, I do indeed know what it is," said the colonel bitterly, "but wemust endure it a while longer. For myself I do not care so much, but SirArthur is in a bad way, and as for Bildad, we may have to bind him handand foot. He sleeps now, but no one can tell what he may do when heawakes."
"We will watch him closely," said Guy. "Canaris is splitting up thecanoe for
firewood, and it will no longer be necessary to travel indarkness."
"See!" cried the Greek, pausing with uplifted axe. "The shores havedisappeared. Has the river become wide or is this another lake?"
"There is still a strong current," said Guy. "The channel has suddenlybecome broad. That is all."
A cheerful fire was soon blazing, and the ruddy reflection stained thewater far and near, as the raft drifted on with the current. Sir Arthurfell asleep again, and Bildad lay among the rugs as one dead, gluttedwith his savage feast, and his lips and hands still red with clottedblood.