CHAPTER XVI

FURTHER ADVENTURES

Half an hour later tragedy befell.

Drenched to the skin, blinded by the deluge of torrential rain,
thoroughly confused beyond all recognition of his whereabouts in the
tangle of bush through which he was thrusting his way, all his senses
dazed by the fierce overhead detonations, and the streams of blazing
fire splitting the black vault above, Big Brother Bill beat his way
along the path of least resistance by sheer physical might.

All idea of direction had left him. Up hill or down hill had become
one and the same to him. He felt he must keep moving, must press on,
and, in the end, he would reach his destination.

At last, almost wearied out by his efforts, he came to a definite halt
in a bush that seemed to afford no outlet whatsoever. Even the way he
had entered it was lost, for the heavy foliaged boughs had closed in
behind him in the darkness, utterly cutting off his retreat.

For a moment he stood like an infuriated steer at bay, caught in the
narrow branding "pinch." He waited for a revealing flash of lightning
in the hope that it would show him a way out. He should have realized
the futility of his hope, but, if he were soaked by the downpour, his
spirit of optimism was as yet by no means drowned.

The flash he awaited came. The whole valley seemed to be lit from end
to end. Then it was gone as swiftly as it had come, leaving a pitchy
blackness behind it. But in that brief flash Bill told himself he had
seen the trail just beyond the clump of bush in the midst of which he
stood. Summoning all his strength he hurled himself to thrust his way
toward it. He fought the resisting boughs with all his great strength,
backed by every ounce of his buoyant spirits. Then, in a moment, Fate
stepped in, and--released him.

His sensations were brief but tumultuous. He had a feeling that an
earthquake had opened the ground at his feet. With all his might he
sought to save himself from the yawning chasm. But the sudden jolt of
his great weight was more than his muscles could withstand. His hands
relaxed their grip upon the foliage and he fell with a great
splash--into the river.

He had driven his way through the overhanging foliage of the river.

Big Brother Bill was not easily disconcerted by any physical
catastrophe to himself. Nor did his sudden immersion now add one
single pulse beat. The obvious thing, being a strong swimmer, was to
strike out and get clear of the dripping