"But," said Grashuis, "what toeans can she be calling to?"
"What is that to me?" exclaimed Grenits. "Come along, some poor thing is calling for help. Come along, I don't feel a bit tired now."
Before they hastened away, the two friends cast a look at the ravine, out of which they had clambered a short time before--and there they caught sight of their comrades who were following them, and who were, in their turn, preparing to gain the summit of the rock.
Grenits thereupon fired off his gun, in order to attract their attention, and when he saw that he had succeeded, he called to them, at the top of his voice, while he stretched out his arm towards the west:
"There, there!" he cried. Then both hurried away.
"What did Theodoor say?" asked Verstork. "Could you make it out?"
"Not a word," replied van Nerekool, "he was much too far off; but something strange seems to have happened."
The little party then began to toil up the steep. They were not, however, fired by the same enthusiasm which had inspired their friends, and thus they took thrice as long to accomplish the ascent. When they at length reached the summit, they could, in the distance, see Grenits and Grashuis running at the top of their speed between the rice-fields. The latter turned for an instant and waved his arm as if to urge his comrades to greater speed.
"Help! help! toean!" was heard again, but this time the cry was so faint as to be barely audible.
The two European gentlemen had, however, by this time, got much nearer to the hut.
"Come on, come on," shouted Grenits, hoping that he would urge his friends to greater speed.
"Are you sure," asked Grashuis, "that we are going in the right direction? It appears to me as if we were getting further away from the sound."
But they had no time for considering the matter, for, at that moment a female form was seen rushing from the hut and running to meet them.
"Help, toean, help!" she cried, as she fell down at their feet.
It was a Javanese girl, whom neither Grenits nor his friend recognised. With dishevelled hair and stained with blood, she rolled on the grass as she covered her face with both hands.
Astounded by the strange and unexpected apparition, the two hunters stood looking at the poor girl before them. In their amazement they knew not what to do. Grenits, however, who could not bear to see a human being thus grovelling at his feet, took hold of the girl's arm and tried to raise her from the ground; but she shook off his hand.