Page:Dick Sands the Boy Captain.djvu/293

 ON THE MARCH AGAIN. 26$ Thus assured of Tom's co-operation, Dick proceeded to deliberate upon hîs future Une of action. He had every reason to believe that the treacherous American, startled by the traces of the slaves and the unexpected roarîng of the lion, had taken flight before he had conducted hîs victîms to the spot where they were to be attacked, and that consequently some hours mîght elapse before he would be joined by Negoro, who (to judge from Dingo's strange behaviour) had undoubtedly for the last few days been somewhere on their track. Hère was a delay that mîght be tumed to good account, and no time was to be lost in taking advantage of it to commence their retum journey to the coast If, as Dick had every reason to suppose, he was in Angola, he hoped to find, eîther north or south, some Portuguese settlement whence he could obtain the means of transporting his party to their several homes. But how was this retum journey to be accomplished ? It would be difficult, not to say imprudent, to retrace their footsteps through the forest ; it would mercly bring them to their startîng-point, and would, moreover, afford an easy track for Negoro or hîs accomplices to foUow. The safest and most secret means of reaching the coast would as- suredly be by descending the course of some river. This would hâve to be effected by constructing a strong raft, from whiéh the little party, well armed, mîght défend them- selves alike from attacks eîther of the natives or of wild beastSy and which would likewise afford a comfortablc means of transport for Mrs. Weldon and her little boy, who were now deprived of the use of Harris's horse. The negroes, it is true, would be only too pleased to carry the lady on a litter of branches, but this would bc to occupy the services of two out of five, and undcr the circumstances it was manifestly advisable that ail hands should be frec to act on the défensive. Another great inducement to- wards the plan was that Dick Sands felt himself much more at home în travelling by water than by land, and was long- ing to be once again upon what to him was, as it were, his native clément. He little drcamt that he was devising for