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“So am I,” said Mike. Paul said nothing. He meant to go on until he found his men. He did not seem to be tired, though he looked it. Jack thought he was a very plucky boy indeed, for he was younger and smaller than the other two, and yet managed to keep up with them very well.
Jack stopped again and motioned to the others to listen. They stood still, and heard voices once more. Up a tree they went at once, but this time the voices did not come any nearer. Paul suddenly went red with excitement. He leaned towards Jack, who was on the branch next to him.
“Jack! I think that is Pilescu’s deep voice. Listen!”
They all listened, and through the forest came the deep tones of Pilescu’s voice, without a doubt. In a trice the boys had shi
They came out into a small clearing. In the middle of this there was a hole, or what looked like a hole from where the boys stood. Across the top of the hole were laid heavy beams of wood, separated each from the other by a few inches, to allow air to penetrate into the hole.
It was from this hole or pit that the voices came. Mike took a quick look round the clearing to see if anyone was there. But it seemed to be completely empty. He ran across to the pit.
“Ra
“Ra
There was an astonished silence, and then came Ra
“Paul! Little lord! What are you doing here? Paul, can it be you?”
“Yes — I’m here and Mike and Jack,” said Paul. “We have come to rescue you.”
“But how did you get here?” cried Ra
“Yes,” said Mike. “It has been a tremendous adventure, I can tell you.”
“Are you all all right?” asked Pilescu.
“Yes, except that we’re awfully hungry,” said Jack, with a laugh.
“If you can move those logs, with our help, we will give you food,” said Ra
The boys began to try and move the heavy logs. Ra
They sat there panting. “Not a nice prison at all,” said Ra
“Fu
“We’d better hide quickly,” said Ra
Back to the Robber Camp
It was easy to shift the logs back into position for now Ra
They had a good view of the path from there and could see anyone coming, though they themselves could not be seen. They sat down and talked earnestly. Jack told the two Baronians all that had happened, and they were amazed.
“Shall we try and get back home the way we came?” asked Mike. “Perhaps that would be best.”
“I don’t know about that,” said Ra
“Well, what else is there to do?” asked Paul, impatiently.
“Let us think carefully, little lord,” said Ra
Everyone was silent. It was quite impossible to climb the surrounding mountains, even if they could make their way through the depths of the forest towards them.
Jack spoke at last. “Ra
Ra
“We could try,” said Jack, doubtfully. “We could go back to the queer beehive-like houses tonight and see if our raft is still there. If it is, we could board it and go off on the river. The river won’t take us backwards, that is certain, so we shall have to go forwards with it!”
“Well, we will try that,” said Ra
The Baronians had brought the bread with them from the pit. All five began to eat, thinking of the adventure that lay ahead. Pilescu looked at the three boys. He saw that they were worn out.
“We will find a good hiding-place and rest there,” he said to Ra
But before they could creep away, they heard the sound of voices, and saw three or four robber-women coming down the path, carrying pitchers of water and more bread! They had evidently come to bring food to the prisoners. Very silently the five vanished into the trees.
The women went to the pit and placed the food and water beside it. They had apparently been told to take it there and leave it, so that the men could hand it down to the prisoners when they came later, and could move the logs a little apart. It was beyond the women’s strength to move them.
The women peered curiously between the logs, and were amazed when they could not see the prisoners. They chattered together excitedly and then peered down again. It was dark in the pit, but even so, they should have been able to catch sight of the two men. Had not the children been to see them that morning and come back with tales of their fierce shouts and cries, their fiery red hair and beards? Then why could not these things be seen and heard now?
The women became certain that the prisoners were not there. Yet how could they have escaped? The logs were still across the mouth of the pit, and no men could move those without help from outside! It was a mystery to them. Chattering loudly, they fled away back to the robber encampment to tell the news. They left the food and water beside the empty pit.
As soon as the women had gone, Ra
“This may be useful!” he said. He tied a leather thong around it, and hung it at his back. It was a flat, round loaf, easy to carry.
“Now we will find a good hiding-place,” said the big Baronian. Pilescu picked up Paul in his arms and the two men strode away into the forest to find a safe hiding-place to rest until night came.