He made a clutch at the nearest branch to save himself, for his head swam, black spots veiled in mist and strangely blurred seemed to be descending from above to form a blinding veil before his eyes. He recovered himself for a moment, long enough to resent the hand stretched out to save him, and then all was blank, and with a hoarse sigh he would have fallen heavily but for the strong arms that caught him, held him firmly for a few moments, and then a faint catching sigh was heard in the stillness of the forest, as Humphrey Armstrong was lowered slowly upon the moss and a soft brown hand laid upon his forehead, as the buccaneer bent down upon one knee by his side. "Want me?" said a deep low voice; and the buccaneer started as if from a dream, with his face hardening, and the wrinkles which had been smoothed reappearing deeply in the broad forehead. "You here, Bart?" "Ay, I'm here." "Watching me?" "Ay, watching of you." The buccaneer rose and gave the interloper an angry look. "Well, why not!" said Bart. "How did I know what he'd do?" "And you've seen and heard all?" "Everything," said Bart, coolly. "When I told you to be within hearing only if I whistled or called." "What's the use of that when a blow or a stab would stop them both?" "Bart, I--" "Go on, I don't mind," said Bart, quietly, "I want to live, and if you was to come to harm that would be the end of me." The buccaneer gave an impatient stamp, but Bart paid no heed. "Give me a lift up and I'll carry him back," he said quietly. All this was done, and Dinny summoned, so that when, an hour later, Humphrey unclosed his eyes, it was with his head throbbing with fever, a wild half-delirious dreaminess troubling his brain, and the great stone image glaring down at him through the dim green twilight of the prison room. It was a bitter experience for the prisoner to find that he had overrated his powers. The effort, the excitement, and the malaria of the forest prostrated him for a fortnight, and at the end of that time he found that he was in no condition to make a further attempt at securing the means of escape. He lay in his gloomy chamber thinking over the buccaneer's insolent proposal, and fully expected that he would resent the way in which it had been received; but to his surprise he received the greatest of attention, and wine, fruit, and various delicacies that had evidently come from the stores of some well-found ship were placed before him to tempt his appetite. Dinny was his regular attendant, and always cheery and ready to help him in every way; but no more was said for a time respecting an evasion, though Humphrey was waiting his time; for after lying for hours, day after day, debating his position, he came to the conclusion that if he did escape it must be through this light-spirited Irishman.