Papuans came nearer, and at the same moment there was a rushing of
wings, as half a dozen large birds perched in one of the trees and gave
proof of the exactitude of the botanist's imitation by answering loudly,
as if to say, "Who was it called?"

Meanwhile Smith and Wriggs had run as hard as they could go for about a
hundred and fifty yards, and then, once more moved by the same impulse,
they pulled up short.

"Woa hoa! Woa ho a ho!" said Smith, in a deep, smothered voice.

"Avast below there," cried Wriggs, panting hard. "Stopped 'em at last,
Billy," said Smith. "Ay, and mine too, Tommy; I never see such a
cowardly pair o' legs afore, did you?"

"Yes, matey, mine's the worstest, for they begun it and started yourn.
Think on 'em, running away and taking us along with 'em, leaving one's
officers in the lurch like that."

"Ay, 'nuff to make a man wish as they was wooden legs, Tommy, eh?"

"Or cork, messmet. But don't jaw, Billy. Let 'em have it. Make the
beggars run as they never run afore. Come on back again."

The two men took hold of hands and ran back as hard as ever they could
go to where Panton and Drew were standing, and as they came up the flock
of Paradise birds flew off again, and the murmur of the Papuans' voices
sounded very near.

"Then you thought better of it," said Panton, fiercely.

"Nay, sir, never thought at all," replied Smith, stolidly. "Did you
ever see two pair of such legs as these here?" and he gave his thighs
each a tremendous slap, Wriggs following his example.

"What do you mean?" said Panton, roughly.

"_Wawk, wawk, wawk, wawk, wawk_!" cried Drew, with his face turned to
the forest.

"That we didn't, sir," said Smith, indignantly. "They took the bit in
their teeth and bolted just like hosses, and run; there warn't no walk
about it, or I wouldn't ha' minded it so much. But we pulled up as soon
as we could, didn't we, Billy?"

"Ay, mate, that's so," growled Wriggs. "But hadn't we better stow under
kiver? Them charcoal chaps is getting precious nigh."

"What! are you going to stop?" said Panton.

"Yes, sir, course we is," said Smith, in an ill-used way. "We couldn't
help it if our legs warn't under control. You don't know, p'raps, but I
do, and Billy Wriggs too, what trouble a man's legs'll get him in. Why,
I've known Billy's legs take him ashore to a public-house, and then
they've got in such a nasty state o' what Mr Rimmer calls tossication,
that they couldn't