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But I reflected that, before I could get them both, one or other would probably shoot me. Besides, I had a queer sort of compunction about killing Laputa. I understood now why Arcoll had stayed his hand from murder, and I was beginning to be of his opinion on our arch-enemy. Then I remembered the horses tied up in the bush. One of them I could get with perfect safety.
They made a portentous splashing, but not a sound came from their throats. I shall never know how Laputa imposed silence on the most noisy race on earth. Several thousand footmen must have followed the riders, and disappeared into the far bush. But not a shot came from the bluffs in front. I watched with a sinking heart. Arcoll had failed, and there was to be no check at the drift.
Behind me I seemed to hear the sound of pursuit. The noise was in my ears, but when I turned it ceased, and I saw only the dusky shoulders of hills. I tried to remember what Arcoll had told me about his headquarters, but my memory was wiped clean. I thought they were on or near the highway, but I could not remember where the highway was.
I knew the police by the green shoulder-straps. 'Arcoll, I managed to croak. 'For God's sake take me to Arcoll. The man whistled shrilly on his fingers, and a second rider came cantering down the road. As he came up I recognized his face, but could not put a name to it. 'Losh, it's the lad Crawfurd, I heard a voice say. 'Crawfurd, man, d'ye no mind me at Lourenco Marques? Aitken?
Arcoll's hands closed firmly on my wrists. 'You left Laputa at Machudi's and rode here without stopping. That would take you an hour. Had Laputa a horse? 'Yes; but I took it, I stammered. 'You can see it behind me. Arcoll dropped my hands and stood up straight. 'By God, we've got him! he said, and he spoke to his companions. A man turned and ran out of the tent.
I knew that my strength was not far from breaking-point; but I knew also that so long as a chance was left me I should have enough for a stroke. Before I realized where we were we had rounded the hill, and were looking down on the green cup of the upper Machudi's glen. Far down, I remember, where the trees began, there was a cloud of smoke. Some Kaffir or maybe Arcoll had fired the forest.
Captain Arcoll went on. 'Now that I knew his purpose, I set myself to find out his preparations. It was not long before I found a mighty organization at work from the Zambesi to the Cape. The great tribes were up to their necks in the conspiracy, and all manner of little sects had been taken in.
'We are going to die together, Crawfurd, he said. 'God has twined our threads, and there will be only one cutting. Tell me what has become of my army. 'Arcoll has guns on the Wolkberg, I said. 'They must submit or perish. 'I have other armies ... No, no, they are nothing. They will all wander and blunder and fight and be beaten. There is no leader anywhere ... And I am dying.
A man questioned me, and told me that Arcoll had got his quarry. 'He's dead, they say. They shot him out on the hills when he was making for the Limpopo. But I knew that this was not true. It was burned on my mind that Laputa was alive, nay, was waiting for me, and that it was God's will that we should meet in the cave. A little later I struck the track of the Kaffirs' march.
In that hour and place I discovered gifts I had never dreamed of. Arcoll told me afterwards that I had spoken like a man inspired, and by a fortunate chance had hit upon the only way to move my hearers. I told of that last scene in the cave, when Laputa had broken down the bridge, and had spoken his dying words that he was the last king in Africa, and that without him the rising was at an end.
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