Behind one of these lay a mound of dried leaves, towards which Crusoe darted and commenced scraping violently.
Trembling with dread that he should find this to be the grave of his murdered companions, Dick rushed forward and hastily cleared away the leaves.

The first handful thrown off revealed part of the figure of a man.

Dick's heart beat audibly as he cleared the leaves from the face, and he uttered a suppressed cry on beholding the well-known features of Joe Blunt.

But they were not those of a dead man.

Joe's eyes met his with a scowl of anger, which instantly gave place to one of intense surprise.
"Joe Blunt!" exclaimed Dick in a voice of intense amazement, while Crusoe snuffed round the heap of leaves and whined with excitement.
But Joe did not move, neither did he speak a word in reply--for the very good reason that his mouth was tightly bound with a band of leather, his hands and feet were tied, and his whole body was secured in a rigid, immovable position by being bound to a pole of about his own length.
In a moment Dick's knife was out, bands and cords were severed, and Joe Blunt was free.
"Thank God!" exclaimed Joe with a deep, earnest sigh, the instant his lips were loosened, "and thanks to _you_, lad!" he added, endeavouring to rise; but his limbs had become so benumbed in consequence of the cords by which they had been compressed that for some time he could not move.
"I'll rub ye, Joe; I'll soon rub ye into a right state," said Dick, going down on his knees.
"No, no, lad, look sharp and dig up Henri.