Now go this way." "No, no!" I whispered back.

"You must stay with me, or we must go together, Joeboy!" There was no reply, and in alarm I stretched out my left hand to seize hold of him; but he had gone.

I half-fancied I heard a faint rustle some distance off as of a great serpent gliding across in front of my head; but I dared not raise my voice to stop him.

Now I realised that he must have glided away from me the moment he had uttered the words "this way;" and again I had to go through all that agony of expectation and dread.

Still, I began to feel a little more confidence in Joeboy, and for the next half-hour I waited anxiously, hoping against hope, till I was in despair and half-mad.
I was just at my worst again, and picturing the looks of Denham, and his disappointment if I managed to get anywhere near where he was on the lookout for us, when I jumped violently, quite startled, for Joeboy seemed to rise out of the black earth on my light.
"Um ?" he said softly.