rs?" cried Bob.

"'Bout a mile away, sir, through the jungle, wanting help badly."

"Can we get there to-night?" cried Bob. "But jump in my lads, and we'll
hear what the lieutenant says. Come: why don't you jump in?"

"I'm bet out, sir, and my mate too," said the sailor. "We're a bit
wounded, sir. We volunteered to come for help when we first heerd the
dear old `Startler' speak out, but it's been a long job. Will you help
us aboard, mates?"

Half-a-dozen willing hands soon had the two poor, drenched, wounded, and
exhausted men on board the cutter, and five minutes after they were on
the deck being questioned by the lieutenant.

"I told the captain, sir, as I'd ask you to fire two guns if we got here
safe. He's down with fever, sir, and it would cheer him up if he heard
the old gal say--begging your pardon--as she was close at hand."

The word was given, and a couple of heavy roars from the "old gal," as
the sailor affectionately called his ship, bore the news to the captain;
and then, in answer to the lieutenant, both of the messengers declared
that it would be impossible to get to the helpless party that night.

"I wouldn't say so, sir, if I didn't feel," said Parker, "that the lads
would only go losing theirselves in the wet jungle, and do no good. If
you'd start at daybreak, sir, and take plenty of rum and biscuits, as
well as powder and shot, you might get them aboard."

Then by slow degrees those on board learned from the worn-out messengers
the whole of their experience, and how that since Major Sandars had
appealed to the men, and they had sworn to stick together to the last,
they had only made journeys of about a mile in length through the dense
jungle. The guide was still delirious, and half the men down with
sickness or wounds. Food they had had of the most meagre description,
and that principally the birds they had shot. Their ammunition was fast
failing, and the time seemed to have come that evening to lie down and
die, so weak were they, and so pertinacious were the attacks of the
enemy--when a thrill of joy ran through every breast as they heard the
signal shots, and knew that there was help at hand.

CHAPTER SIXTY ONE.

HOW BOB ROBERTS TURNED THE TABLES.

Never was daylight looked for with greater anxiety than that night on
board the steamer.

With the first flush she was allowed to float lower down, till abreast
of the spot where the two men were taken on board, and then every