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Glenarvan felt that, cost what it might, they must not lose his track, and therefore decided to follow the advice of Thalcave, and go to the village of Tandil. They would find some one there to speak to, at all events. About four o'clock in the evening a hill, which seemed a mountain in so flat a country, was sighted in the distance.
"Before Glenarvan decides," said Paganel, "I must make an observation. That some one must go to Melbourne is evident, but that John Mangles should be the one to expose himself to the risk, cannot be. He is the captain of the DUNCAN, and must be careful of his life. I will go instead." "That is all very well, Paganel," said the Major; "but why should you be the one to go?"
"Well, captain," repeated Paganel, "do you remember the precise words of the document?" "Exactly," replied Harry Grant; "and not a day has passed without my recalling to memory words with which our last hopes were linked." "And what are they, captain?" asked Glenarvan. "Speak, for our amour propre is wounded to the quick!"
"We've got him, we've got him," shouted Glenarvan; and without waiting to see where the shot so providentially came from, he rushed toward the condor, followed by his companions. When they reached the spot the bird was dead, and the body of Robert was quite concealed beneath his mighty wings.
The two other horses seemed to catch their comrade's meaning, and, inspired by his example, made a last effort, and galloped forward after the Indian. About three o'clock a white line appeared in a dip of the road, and seemed to tremble in the sunlight. "Water!" exclaimed Glenarvan. "Yes, yes! it is water!" shouted Robert.
The name of the yacht was the DUNCAN, and the owner was Lord Glenarvan, one of the sixteen Scotch peers who sit in the Upper House, and the most distinguished member of the Royal Thames Yacht Club, so famous throughout the United Kingdom. Lord Edward Glenarvan was on board with his young wife, Lady Helena, and one of his cousins, Major McNabbs.
"And your companions?" said Kai-Koumou. "My companions are English like myself. We are shipwrecked travelers, but it may be important to state that we have taken no part in the war." "That matters little!" was the brutal answer of Kara-Tete. "Every Englishman is an enemy. Your people invaded our island! They robbed our fields! they burned our villages!" "They were wrong!" said Glenarvan, quietly.
Fancy carrying arms in the other world!" "Well!" said the Major, "but these are English firearms." "No doubt," replied Glenarvan, "and it is a very unwise practice to give firearms to savages! They turn them against the invaders, naturally enough. But at any rate, they will be very valuable to us." "Yes," said Paganel, "but what is more useful still is the food and water provided for Kara-Tete."
A sudden gleam flashed into the eyes of Kai-Koumou, and he said in a deep voice: "Exchange you, if your own people care to have you; eat you if they don't." Glenarvan asked no further questions; but hope revived in his heart. He concluded that some Maori chiefs had fallen into the hands of the English, and that the natives would try to get them exchanged.
Lord Glenarvan examined them attentively for a few minutes, turning them over on all sides, holding them up to the light, and trying to decipher the least scrap of writing, while the others looked on with anxious eyes. At last he said: "There are three distinct documents here, apparently copies of the same document in three different languages.
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