"Hold on, Jake," he said and raised his voice: "Who's that?"
"Payne," answered the other, and they waited until he came up.
"Now," said Jake rather sharply, "what was the shooting about?"
"There was a breed hanging round in the bushes and when he tried to creep
up to the veranda I plugged him."
"Then where is he?"
"That's what I don't know," Payne answered apologetically. "I hit him
sure, but it looks as if he'd got away."
"It looks as if you'd missed. Where did you shoot from?"
Payne beckoned them to follow and presently stopped beside the heap of
ironwork a little to one side of the shack. The lighted veranda was in
full view of the spot, but there was tall brushwood close by and behind
this the grass.
"I was here," Payne explained. "Heard something move once or twice, and
at last the fellow showed between me and the light. When I saw he was
making for the veranda I put up my gun. Knew I had the bead on him when I
pulled her off."
"Then show us where he was."
Payne led them forward until they reached a spot where the brush was
broken and bent, and Jake, stooping down, struck a match.
"I guess he's right. Look at this," he said with shrinking in his voice.
The others saw a red stain on the back of his hand and crimson splashes
on the grass. Then Dick took the match and put it out.
"The fellow must be found. I'll get two or three of the boys I think we
can trust and we'll begin the search at once."
He left them and returned presently with the men and two lanterns, but
before they set off he asked Payne: "Could you hear what we said on the
veranda?"
"No. I could tell you were talking, but that was all. Once you kind of
raised your voice and I guess the fellow in front heard something, for it
was then he got up and tried to crawl close in."
"Just so," Dick agreed and looked at Jake as one of the men lighted a
lantern. "He was nearer us than Payne. I thought Adexe would draw him."
They searched the belt of grass and the edge of the jungle, since, as
there were venomous snakes about, it did not seem likely that the
fugitive would venture far into the thick, steamy gloom. Then they made a
circuit of the camp, stopping wherever a mound of rubbish offered a
hiding-place, but the search proved useless until they reached the head
of the track. Then an explanation of the man's escape was supplied, for
the hand-car, which had stood there an hour ago, had gone. A few strokes
of the crank would start it, after which it would run down the incline.