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It was truly Tomba, who, with a snarl, leaped to his feet ere Hal Overton could grab him. "Shoot him!" ordered Lieutenant Holmes, as Tomba went over the trench and down the slope at sprinting speed. Three or four rifles spoke, but Tomba escaped in the darkness. Not so, however, with the men Tomba had brought with him. Not one of them escaped.
The Filipino shrugged his shoulders. "Well, ask the brown pirates what they intend to do?" Tomba spoke as though translating the question into the two tongues that these surly fellows understood. "They say that they do not know," replied Vicente Tomba presently. "Can't make up their minds, eh?" jeered Hal. "Then I'll form their decisions for them. There's a further way out of this place?"
As soon as the craft had made a landing he was to leap out, carrying a revolver in either hand, and, followed by Tomba, would endeavor to gain entrance to the hut, break through the flimsy grass-woven curtain over the doorway, and get Mr. and Mrs. Illingway out. Ned, Mr.
Tomba, who was at Tom's side in the steering tower, told him, as best he could, from time to time, how to set the rudders. "Pretty soon by-em-by be there," said the black man at length. "Pass ober dat hill, den red devils live." "Well, we'll soon be over that hill," announced Tom grimly. "I guess we'd better get our rifles ready for the battle." "Are you going to attack them at once?" asked Mr.
Quick, lads, for your lives!" shouted the boatswain. "Range our spare cable! Get the second bower-anchor from the hold! Now you, Ali Tomba, see that your men work," he added, turning to the serang. The English seamen worked away energetically; but in the dark it was a difficult business to get up the heavy anchor and chain cable.
Another stone door was suddenly swung open, by one of the surly fellows, revealing a passage beyond. Into this the eight fairly raced. "Do not follow too quickly, señor, or one of the rascals may forget himself and turn to fight," declared Tomba. "It will be bad for you if it happens!" "It is of myself that I am thinking, señor!" returned the Filipino dryly. Then, after a pause: "Come, señor.
"Yes, we ought to get right over the hut, and then make a sudden swoop down," admitted Ned, "but if we can't see it " "I have it!" cried Tom suddenly. "Tomba! That African can see in the dark like a cat. Why, just before we started I dropped a wrench, and I didn't have any matches handy to look for it.
"Shall I do it, Sergeant?" inquired Hyman. "Tomba," laughed Hal, "after all the trouble that that last cigarette cost you I should think you'd feel like cutting out the habit forever. I know I would drop any habit that had gotten me into such a mess. Had you not wanted to smoke underground I would not have had such a fine chance to upset you. Very likely you would have won, instead of me."
We can move upon them from where we are so quickly that they won't have much chance to get away. Besides it will take us too long to make our way through the jungle afoot. For, now that the escape of Tomba must be known, they may kill the captives at once to forestall any rescue." "Then we'll move forward in the morning," declared Mr. Durban.
As they started Hal held the lantern with his left hand so that the rays of light flashed ahead of them. Vicente Tomba walked to the far end of this underground room. As far as young Overton's eyes could see they were moving toward a blank wall. "Halt!" commanded the young sergeant easily. Tomba obeyed. "You are taking me to a secret door?" "It is so, señor." "And you know how to open it?"
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