They heard several men coming after them, and heard the command “Halt!” yelled after them in both French and bad English.  But they did not halt until a sudden tumble on Tom’s part made the others pause in dismay.

“Oh, great Caesar!” groaned the fun-loving Rover, and tried to stand up.  “I guess I’ve twisted my ankle.”

“Can’t you even walk?” asked Sam.

“We ain’t got no time ter lose!” panted Aleck, who was almost winded.  “If we stay here we’ll be gobbled up —­ in no time, dat’s shuah!”

“Let us try to carry Tom,” said Sam, and attempted to lift his brother up.  But the load made him stagger.

“De trees —­ let us dun hide in, de trees!” went on the negro, struck by a certain idea.  “Come on, quick!”

“Yes — yes —­ anything!” groaned Tom, and then shut his teeth hard to keep himself from screaming with pain.

Together they carried the suffering youth away from the highway to where there was a thick jungle of trees and tropical vines.  The vines, made convenient ladders by which to get up into the trees, and soon Sam and Aleck were up and pulling poor Tom after them.

“Now we must be still,” said Aleck, when they were safe for the time being.  “Hear dem a-conun’ dis way.”

The three listened and soon made out the footsteps of the approaching party.  They soon passed on up the road.

“We’ve fooled them,” whispered Sam.

“But, oh, Aleck, what does it all mean?”

“It means dat yo’ uncle an’ Dick am prisoners —­ took by a lot of rascals under a tall, Frenchman.”

“Yes, but I don’t understand —­”

“No more do I, Massah Sam, but it war best to git out, dat’s as shuah as yo’ is born,” added the colored man solemnly.

Poor Torn was having a wretched time of it with his ankle, which hurt as badly as ever and had begun to swell.  As he steadied himself on one of the limbs of the tree Sam removed his shoe, which gave him a little relief.

From a distance came a shouting, and they made out through the trees the gleam of a torch.  But soon the sounds died out and the light disappeared.

What should they do next?  This was a question impossible to answer.

“One thing is certain, I can’t walk just yet,” said Tom.  “When I put my foot down it’s like a thousand needles darting through my leg.”

“Let us go below and hunt up some water,” said Sam; and after waiting a while longer they descended into the small brush.  Aleck soon found a pool not far distant, and to this they carried Tom, and after all had had a drink, the swollen ankle was bathed, much to the sufferer’s relief.

Slowly the time dragged by until morning.  As soon as the sun was up Aleck announced that he was going back to the hostelry to see how the land lay.

“But don’t expose yourself,” said Tom.  “I am certain now that is a regular robbers’ resort, or worse.”