Just as he pointed him out to his master, looking much inclined to bolt after the carriers, the figure moved towards them, hastening its steps, and revealing itself to be that of one of their own men. The carriers, no doubt, had supposed him to be one of the party who had rushed the camp, and feared that the rest were somewhere near.
John ran to him, asking eagerly what had become of Massa Chally. The man explained that he and another had accompanied Massa Chally when he went shooting birds, and on their return had seen thousands of Tubus swoop down on the camp. Being himself somewhat in the rear of the other two, he had concealed himself, and the birds he carried, in the bush, and remained there until the prisoners had been taken away. So far as he knew, he was the only one who had escaped. Fearing to leave the spot, he had waited there, knowing that Massa Royce would return by-and-by.
"Was there a fight?" asked Royce.
The man replied that Massa Chally had fired his gun, but was himself wounded and ridden down by the horsemen. No one else had fired. Most of the men were laden with bananas, and the horsemen had come upon them so suddenly that there was no time to do anything.
Bad as the news was, Royce recognised a reason for thankfulness in that Challis had not been killed. The carrier was firm on that point. He had seen the white man tied to a saddle, and taken away with the rest.
"Which way did they go?" Royce asked.
The man pointed towards the north.
Royce stood pondering. What was to be done? It was unthinkable that he should leave Challis and the faithful boys to their fate, even though by following them up he should share it. Challis might escape, in which case he would need help, and the nearer Royce was to him the better. But Challis was not the man to desert his negroes, and the chance that all would be able to escape together was slight.
The longer Royce thought over the problem, the less likely did it appear that he could do anything for his friend. Yet he must make an attempt. Were the positions reversed, he knew that Challis would try to do something for him.
"We must go after them, John," he said at last.
"Save Massa Chally, sah—oh yes!" replied John, trying to look cheerful.
The other man was too much terrified of solitude to raise any objection, though he was inwardly trembling at the thought of meeting the Tubus.
"What can we do with these provisions?" said Royce, indicating the calabashes which the frightened carriers had dropped. "We ought not to leave them for the birds; they may come in handy some day."
John suggested that they should be carried into the bush, and covered up as well as possible with the material of the dismantled zariba. This plan seemed to be the only one possible, and the three spent half an hour in stowing the calabashes under a thick layer of thorn branches.
Then, providing themselves with enough food for a couple of days, they set off on the trail of the raiders. There was no difficulty in following it. The soil was sandy, and the horses had left unmistakable traces.
"Keep your eyes open, John," said Royce. "We must see the Tubus before they see us."
"Savvy all same, sah," said John. "Berry good eyes, sah—oh yes!"
Royce and the two negroes marched steadily on, stopping only for brief intervals of rest. The track led northwards towards the River Yo and the Tubus' country beyond.
Late in the afternoon they came to a spot where the trail forked. It was clear that part of the enemy's force had continued on the direct northward course, while another part, apparently the smaller, had diverged to the east. It took John only a few seconds to determine which of the two parties included the prisoners. Besides the hoof marks, there were many prints of bare feet on the soil, and among these John detected the impressions made by Challis's boots. These were in the direct track going northwards. The track diverging to the east was made by hoofs only.
"Dem go to fort, sah—oh yes!" said John.
"Why do you think so?" Royce asked.
John grinned.
"No savvy what for," he said; "savvy all same."
Royce was aware that the fort lay eastward of them, but he had supposed that it was rather to the south than to the north. Like many negroes, John, as was afterwards proved, had almost as keen a sense of locality as a wild animal.
"If you are right," said Royce, "some of the men have probably ridden to the fort to waylay us on our return. That big fellow must be one of the Tubus."
"Him no Tubu, sah," said John decisively. "Big fella too much ugly."
As Royce had never seen a Tubu, this statement conveyed nothing to him. Goruba's countenance was certainly of a Nubian cast. But he felt assured that the man had some position of authority among the raiders, and had either sent or led a party to attempt his capture.
He was much troubled in mind at the thought of leaving some of the enemy in his rear. His only chance—a slight one at the best—of helping Challis would be wholly destroyed if the party from the fort came up behind him, and discovered him before he had time to go into hiding. There was no sign of that party having already returned and rejoined the main body. The one hope he had was that the men in ambush at the fort, after waiting there all day, had now given up the idea of waylaying him, and had struck into the northward route at some point far ahead.
Less than an hour of daylight remained; it would soon be dark, and the Tubus were not more likely than any other native tribe to continue their journey in darkness. So Royce felt that if he escaped notice until sunset he would be pretty safe until next morning dawned.
The sun went down, and the three men halted.
"Where are we to camp, John?" asked Royce.
The Hausa looked around. There was no shelter anywhere on the ground, but at a little distance from the track a solitary large tree reared itself to a height of some fifty feet.
"Dat's him, sah!" cried the man. "Sleep in tree; berry nice."
"It won't be the first time," thought Royce, remembering a certain hot afternoon years before, when he and Challis, happy-go-lucky schoolboys, had dozed the hours away in the fork of an elm overlooking the cricket-field.
They sat down on the ground to eat their frugal supper. John was quite concerned at having nothing better to offer his master than some parched grain and a few nuts, and vigorously rated the carrier for not bringing some of the birds Challis had shot. He wanted to kindle a fire and give the food at least a little flavour by roasting, but Royce would not allow it.
"We don't know how near the Tubus are," he said. "They might see the flame, or smell the smoke. I shall do very well as it is, John."
Then they climbed the tree one after another, Royce envying the agility with which the barefooted negroes mounted, and selected, each for himself, a secure perch among the branches.
The two Hausas fell asleep instantly. Royce, however, found his quarters very unpleasant. They were not in the least like the cool elm he remembered so vividly. Mosquitoes and a thousand other small insects buzzed about him, settling upon face and arms, some to sting, others to bite, until he was in torture. He swung his arms about to ward them off, and covered his face with his handkerchief, tucking it under his helmet and into the collar of his coat. But the terrible pests defied all his efforts to protect himself, and he gave up at last, resigning himself to endure their torments with what patience he was master of.
It was some time, too, before he lost his fear of toppling from his swaying perch and crashing to the ground. The effort to secure himself made his limbs stiff and cramped, and he looked forward to a night of sleeplessness and pain. But sleep crept upon him unawares. He fell into a doze, uneasy indeed, and fitful, but yet giving blessed intervals of oblivion.
From one of these spells of slumber, Royce suddenly started to wakefulness and a strange feeling of terror. He had not been dreaming; by this time he was so much accustomed to the stings of the insects as to be almost unconscious of them. Yet he was bathed in sweat, and felt as though some fearful doom were hanging over him. He lay panting in the crook of the branches.
What was this strange, musty odour of which he was now aware? What was the cause of the dreadful feeling of sickness that chilled his skin? Unable to account for his wretched state, he lay still, hoping that the feeling would pass.
The foliage rustled above and around him; insects hummed; in the distance he heard the wailing call of some strange night bird, the booming note of a giant frog, the bark of a beast of prey. In these there was nothing alarming. But his uneasiness, the sense of impending danger, grew upon him, and at last, unable to endure the mysterious feeling any longer, he was on the point of awakening John, for the mere relief and pleasure of hearing a human voice, when all at once the other man, farther from him, uttered a shriek of mortal terror.
IN THE PYTHON'S TOILSIN THE PYTHON'S TOILS
The effect upon Royce was as startling as the shock from an electric current. He started up, almost losing his balance. The cry had this good result, that it enabled him to shake off the numbing horror that had oppressed him. Groping in his pocket, he drew out a small electric torch which he used but sparingly, because of the impossibility of re-charging it. With the other hand he seized his revolver.
A flash of the torch made all terribly clear. The hapless carrier was in the toils of an immense snake. John crouched near him, paralysed with horror. The snake was gradually tightening its hold, and its hideous head was swaying within a few feet of its victim.
Royce snapped his revolver at the reptile's head. The shot went wide. He fired again. This time his aim was true. For a moment the snake convulsively tightened its coils about the inert black body, causing the man to groan under the crushing pressure. Then the coils relaxed, the head drooped, and in a few moments the monster dropped with a thud upon the ground.
There was no more sleep for any of the three that night. Royce's nerves were on edge; the negroes, though they recovered sooner than he from the shock, remained in a high state of excitement. John related a dismal story of the absorption of a cousin of his by a snake, showing such a relish for gruesome details that Royce ordered him to choose another subject.
With the earliest glimmer of dawn they descended from their perches. At the foot of the tree lay an unusually large specimen of the African python, measuring at least eighteen feet. Royce shuddered at the thought of the fate which the Hausa had so narrowly escaped.
They made the best breakfast they could, and as soon as it was light enough to mark the trail, they set off again in the track of the enemy.
Royce knew that, lightly burdened as he and his companions were, their speed was likely to be much greater than that of the raiders, whose pace must be regulated by the men carrying heavy loads. So he was not surprised, after marching only two or three hours, to reach the spot where the party had encamped during the night.
From the aspect of the place, and the still warm embers of fires, John guessed that the camp had been broken up rather later in the morning than usual, and not very long before his arrival. This conclusion led him to press on with redoubled vigour, and at the same time with caution.
Royce asked himself more than once what he would do when he came up with the raiders. Always he had to admit that he did not know. It was hopeless to attempt to form a plan. Indeed, he acknowledged to himself that the whole enterprise was pretty hopeless. The hoof marks and the prints of feet were so numerous that the party must be a large one. The Hausa had spoken of thousands of Tubus. That was no doubt an exaggeration; the negro is always ready to magnify numbers; but it was almost certain that the horsemen mustered a score or two. What was more surprising was the character of the footprints. Royce's full party consisted of only sixteen carriers, of whom two were now with him; but the depth of the impressions on the sandy soil, rather than their number, indicated that there were many more than fourteen prisoners. African natives march nearly always in single file, each man stepping in the tracks of the man in front of him; the footprints now before him were so deeply impressed that they must have been made by a large number of men.
Of the three trackers, John went first, as the most experienced in travelling over this kind of country. Every now and again he would point to the marks of Challis's boots, when they were clearly distinguishable from the other prints. Presently he declared that Massa Chally must be tied to a horse, for his footprints corresponded regularly with the marks of four hoofs.
Towards midday the track struck into a well-beaten native path, on which the foot-prints were less clearly marked. It ran northward over undulating wooded country, broken now and then by open spaces of prairie-like land. John declared that there were signs of their approaching a river.
When they came to the open spaces, he slackened pace, and scouted forward with great caution, to make sure of not stumbling upon the rear of the enemy. It was very unlikely that these had any idea of being pursued, but they were in hostile country, the people in the far-distant villages were their bitter foes, and they would hardly neglect the usual precautions against surprise or sudden attack.
From one of these spaces, to which John had gone on ahead, he ran back by-and-by, his eyes lit with excitement.
"See horses, sah!" he cried.
"Going from us?" asked Royce anxiously.
"Tails dis way, sah."
"Lead on slowly. Be sure to keep out of sight."
Since the horses were moving, clearly the only thing to be done was to keep in touch with them for the present, and seek a favourable opportunity of ascertaining the exact strength of the party and their order of march.
As a precaution against being discovered, Royce suggested that they should leave the path, and pursue their course at some little distance on one side of it or the other. John agreed that this was wise, though it would retard their progress. This, however, mattered little, seeing that they were travelling considerably faster than the raiders were.
A little later, Royce himself, on ascending a slight eminence, caught sight of the horsemen.
The size of the party surprised him. At the rear were about a dozen mounted men, more or less clothed, turbaned and armed; the sunlight flashed on their weapons, though at the distance he could not yet discover what those weapons were. Beyond them, strung out in a long line that wound like a snake over the country, was a body of more than a hundred negroes on foot, with mounted men among them at intervals. At some distance ahead was another party of armed horsemen, larger than the one in the rear.
To determine their numbers exactly was impossible. Royce wished he had thought of taking his field-glasses with him when he left the camp a few nights before; they were now, he feared, among the captured baggage, but at a rough estimate he felt sure that there could not be fewer than forty mounted men, in charge of perhaps a hundred and twenty captives. It was clear that the Tubus had raided several small villages, and that Challis and the Hausas were the latest additions to their haul. No doubt they were now making for their own district across the Yo, in high spirits at the successful results of their expedition.
Only a few minutes after Royce caught sight of them, the straggling column came to a halt. It was the time for their midday meal.
"Eat now, sah?" asked John.
"You can go on a bit longer?" said Royce.
"Can do same as Massa," John replied.
"Very well, then. I suppose they will rest for a couple of hours or more. That gives us a chance of getting ahead of them."
"Oh yes, sah. Get ahead, sure 'nuff."
John regarded the suggestion as one that would merely score a point in the game. Royce, however, had a serious object in view. The size of the party had made clear what he had all along suspected: that direct intervention on his part was impossible. What could a little band of three, of whom only two were armed, do against so formidable a force?
When two combatants are unequally matched, the weaker tries to accomplish by guile what he cannot do by strength. Royce was wondering whether, by slipping past the raiders, and examining the country in front, he could discover a spot where by some trick or ambuscade he might throw them into confusion, and rescue Challis before they had recovered from their surprise. He had no definite plan in mind; everything depended upon the nature of the ground.
Increasing their distance from the path, the three marched rapidly through a belt of thin woodland which screened them sufficiently, and came back to the track, after a long round, at a point which Royce calculated to be a good mile ahead of the raiders.
They pressed on, avoiding the path, on which Royce's boots would have left tell-tale tracks, but keeping as near to it as was safe. John halted every now and then to look back, and to listen for sounds of the enemy's advance. Royce gave his whole attention to the features of the surrounding country.
As they covered mile after mile without finding a spot where anything in the nature of an ambush could be successfully attempted, Royce's hopes sank lower and lower. The country became more and more hilly, and the path followed the undulations in almost a straight line over bare soil. It did not pass through tracts of thick bush or clumps of woodland, which might have afforded opportunities for an ambuscade. Nor were there abrupt corners or overhanging banks that would have lent themselves to the springing of a surprise on the enemy.
The Hausas wondered why their master kept on marching so doggedly, now that they were miles ahead.
"Eat now, sah?" said John at last.
"You can eat as you walk, if you like," replied Royce, "but we won't rest yet."
Some little while later, as they were rounding the shoulder of a low hill, John suddenly cried:
"Ribber, sah! Savvy ribber here all same."
"I can't see it," said Royce.
This answer appeared to tickle John, who laughed heartily.
"See him bimeby," he said. "Hear him now."
And then Royce caught a faint sound like the rustle of leaves in the wind.
A few minutes' walking proved that John was right. The track made a sharp bend. On the left of it the ground fell away steeply to a river valley, down which a stream was tumbling rapidly, no doubt to join the Yo somewhere to the east.
Royce's drooping spirits took a joyous leap, for the path led down to a frail swinging bridge which spanned the stream. It was made of plant rope, and looked too slight to bear the weight of more than a few men at a time. The possibilities of the situation flashed upon his mind.
It was clear that the stream was not fordable at this spot, otherwise there would be no bridge. The African native never puts himself to unnecessary trouble. It was equally clear that the bridge was not strong enough to bear the weight of horses; therefore the mounted men would not cross here, but must go either to the right or to the left to seek a ford. Best of all, on the side of the track remote from the stream, the ground rose so steeply as to form almost a precipice. Here, if anywhere, an attempt to throw the party into confusion might succeed, and the idea of a plan to do even more than that had already suggested itself to Royce.
Would he be able to carry it out? Success depended on many conditions—the arrangements of the raiders, the nerve and quickness of his own men, a hundred and one chances. At any rate, it was worth attempting.
"Gambaru," he said to the second Hausa, "climb up to the top there, and watch for the enemy. Lie down behind a bush, so that they will not see you. When you are sure what they are going to do, slide down and tell me. John, come down to the river with me."
On reaching the bridge, Royce first ran across it to test its strength, then took out his pocket-knife, and cut as many of the plant ropes as he dared without bringing the whole structure down. John looked on in amazement.
The bridge took off from a low cliff on either side of the stream. The banks were overgrown with thick tall bushes and reeds.
"You can hide there?" said Royce, pointing to the vegetation beneath the nearer end of the bridge.
"Hide plenty all same, sah," replied John, looking puzzled and a little uneasy.
"Very well. We'll go back now, and wait for Gambaru's report. Then I'll tell you what to do."
On returning from the bridge, Royce was too impatient to remain at the river level and wait for news from Gambaru, perched on the heights above. He reflected, too, that when so much was at stake, it was better to make his own observations than to rely on an unskilled native.
"Gambaru's eyesight is no doubt better than mine," he thought, "but his judgment is not likely to be. And I've had some training in scouting."
He clambered up the steep acclivity until, somewhat out of breath, he reached Gambaru's side.
"Have you seen anything?" he asked.
"Nuffin, sah," the man replied.
Shading his eyes from the sun, Royce gazed earnestly over the country. He could see the track for nearly a mile, until it disappeared below the shoulder of the hill a few hundred yards from where he stood. There was no human being in sight.
Again and again he looked, becoming more and more restless at the non-appearance of the enemy. He began to fear that they had diverged from the track, and instead of directing their march towards the bridge, had made off in a body towards a ford.
But suddenly Gambaru touched his arm.
"Dat's dem, sah!" he cried, extending his arm. For a few moments Royce's less perfect vision failed to descry anything upon the track except what seemed to be a slight haze. But at length he was able to distinguish figures, and then he felt considerable surprise. The men he saw marching towards him were all on foot. Where were the horsemen whom he had previously seen at the head of the column?
"What uncommon luck!" he said to himself. "They seem to have left the track already, and gone to one side or the other to cross by some ford they know. It makes things easier."
He had expected the mounted men to accompany the column to the bridge, and then part from it to find the ford. That they had not done so proved, first that they were very confident, and secondly that the ford was at some considerable distance from the bridge.
The Tubus clearly expected no molestation by natives of the district, whom they, no doubt, regarded as completely cowed. It was equally clear that they intended, after making their detour by the ford, to meet the rest of the column at some spot beyond the bridge.
Taking care to keep under cover, Royce watched the procession until the last man appeared. All the horsemen had gone. He made out that there was a vanguard of about half a dozen armed men, and another half a dozen brought up the rear. At intervals along the column there were about the same number, acting as escort to the prisoners. The vanguard marched some two hundred yards ahead of the rest, who were strung out over at least half a mile. They marched very slowly.
It was a long time before Royce was able to distinguish the figure of his friend. He almost feared that Challis had been taken to the ford, still tied to the saddle; and it gave him a thrill of joy when at last he observed the white-clad form, about half-way down the column.
Royce had already conceived the general idea of his ambuscade; the absence of the horsemen promised to make its working out in detail much easier than he could have hoped. These details he thought out as he watched the column slowly advancing.
His plan was to let the vanguard pass over the bridge, then to sever them from the rest of the column by cutting the remainder of the ropes, and afterwards to deal with the others as circumstances might dictate. It was this last part which had given him most anxiety. Now, however, he rapidly made up his mind to attempt an operation which had been suggested by the nature of the ground.
The track, it will be remembered, made a sharp bend just where it descended to the river. On one side was the river itself, thickly fringed with rushes; on the other, the steep and almost precipitous slope. It depended on the nerve and the quickness of Gambaru whether he could take advantage of that bend to carry out his scheme.
He rapidly explained to the man what was required of him, and was delighted to find how quickly it was understood, and how eager the Hausa was to assist him. Then they slid down the slope, and while Gambaru hid amid the rushes near the bend, Royce hurried to John, waiting beneath the bridge.
"Six or seven Tubus will come on to the bridge," he said. "When they have just passed the middle, but before any of them have got to the other side, cut all the ropes I have left uncut. You understand?"
"Savvy all same, sah," said John, his eyes gleaming, his lips parted in a wide grin. "Dey go plop!"
"Then run back as fast as you can and join me. There will be other work for you."
He hastened back to the bend, and concealed himself by Gambaru's side among the rushes.
It was perhaps five minutes later that the first man of the advance guard appeared round the bend. He walked straight down to the bridge-head, followed by five others. Royce watched them eagerly, his heart beating fast. Everything depended on what would happen in the next minute.
To his dismay, instead of walking at once on to the bridge, they stood in a group at the end, all talking together. Were they going to wait until the prisoners came down? If they did, it would spoil everything.
For half a minute Royce waited in a fever of suspense. Then, to his great joy, the men formed single file again and began to cross the bridge.
Now he had a new anxiety—the fear that John would not act quickly enough. But the first of the Tubus was still some yards from the farther bank when there was a slight swishing sound, a tremendous splash, and a babel of yells from the men whom the cutting of the ropes had plunged into the river.
Then John, drenched with water, but beaming with delight, came rushing up to join his master, who, with Gambaru, had left his hiding-place and stationed himself at the near side of the bend.
As Royce had expected, the shouts of the men had the effect of bringing up the nearest man of the escort at the double, leaving the group of prisoners, of which he was in charge, to follow. The moment he showed himself round the corner Royce dealt him a blow that stretched him on the ground. Gambaru, acting on Royce's instructions, instantly pounced on the man, tore the turban from his head, and calling to John to assist him, stuffed into his mouth a gag made of the linen, and pinioned his arms with strips shred from his loincloth.
Royce, meanwhile, stood waiting for the next man, at the same time watching with some anxiety the operations of his Hausas. All, perhaps, depended on their quickness. His anxiety was needless. With ready wit John perceived the nature of his master's design, and within twenty seconds the fallen Tubu was helpless and harmless.
COLLAPSECOLLAPSE
A few moments later a second Tubu dashed round the bend. Like the first, he had left his gang of prisoners, and run ahead to discover the cause of the outcry, which had now ceased, for the men of the advance guard had been carried far down the rapid stream.
The second man was served as the first had been. A third and a fourth appeared, only to meet the same fate. Then there was a pause. Either the remaining members of the escort had not heard their comrades' yells, or the ensuing silence had reassured them.
Three-parts of the column of captives had meanwhile been left unguarded. But the wretched creatures marched slowly on. Roped together, men and women, with their captors before and behind, they did not dream of attempting to escape. They were too weary and listless to feel any curiosity about the brief noise ahead of them. There was nothing to flash a gleam of hope into their dejected minds.
The first gang of them, a full score in number, dragged their tired feet round the bend. Their heads were downcast, but a sudden exclamation from John caused some of them to look up in startled surprise. Among them were Kulana and three others of Royce's carriers.
John instantly slit the rope that fastened the first couple by the neck, and, passing along the line, set the prisoners free one after another. Dejection gave way to joy, silence to shouts and laughter.
"Take those rifles and spears," said Royce to his men, pointing to the weapons of the Tubus who had been laid low. "Kulana, tell these prisoners to stand aside by the river bank and keep quiet."
All this had been done out of sight of the rest of the column. In a few minutes the second gang came up. These were liberated like the first; there were three more of Royce's Hausas among them.
Again there was an interval; then the third gang appeared, and Royce thrilled with delight when he saw Challis among them.
"Here I am, old man," he called.
Challis smiled feebly, and Royce was shocked to see the change in his friend. His cheeks were pale and haggard, his eyes sunken and unnaturally bright; his figure shrunken and bent.
"I'm nearly done for," he murmured, as Royce released him.
"Poor old chap! But we'll soon have you right again. Just rest here until we have finished our job. John, get some water for Massa Chally."
He supported Challis to the foot of the grassy slope, and settled him comfortably there. Then he returned to the bend.
In due order the rest of the prisoners came along, with the last two members of the escort. When these had been dealt with, only the six men of the rearguard remained to be disposed of.
Wishing to avoid a fight, Royce considered how to complete his work. There would not be time to disarm each of the men in turn as they came round the bend. An idea occurred to him. He ordered the whole party of released prisoners to dispose themselves amid the tall rushes along the river bank, and the Hausas to carry down the fallen Tubus. He himself assisted Challis to reach a place of concealment. Thus, when the rearguard rounded the bend, there was no one in sight along the open path.
The Tubus halted in amazement when their eyes fell on the broken bridge. They looked this way and that in search of the prisoners, and Royce, watching them through the rushes, feared that they might turn tail and retreat. But after a few minutes they hastened forward, scanning the farther bank to see if by some unknown means the prisoners had been able to cross the river.
When they had almost reached the bridge-head, Royce stepped quickly from his hiding-place with the armed Hausas, and ordered John to call to the Tubus. At the shout they swung round, and saw facing them a white man and seven Hausas covering them with rifles.
John called to them to surrender and throw down their arms. For a moment they hesitated; then, recognising that between the rifles and the river there was no escape, they cast their own weapons on the ground and made signs of submission.
At Royce's instruction John ordered them to move away along the bank of the river. Then six of the Hausas advanced, took their rifles, and returned. And then the whole band of liberated prisoners sprang up from among the rushes, and the place rang with their shouts of delight.
"Now for the next move," said Royce to Challis. "Feel better, old man?"
"Much! It's so good to see you again. But I'm fairly crocked."
"Never mind that. You'll be all right after a rest. We mustn't lose any time, though. Can you tell me how far back the horsemen left you?"
"Two or three miles, I think. They went off to the left; of course I didn't know why, though I see now."
"Well, there are about thirty of them, aren't there? They have probably crossed the river by this time, higher up, and are waiting somewhere ahead. We can't tell how long they will wait before they become uneasy, but no doubt when they do they will ride to the bridge. Finding it broken down, they will probably think that the whole party is making for the ford, and will very likely ride back and round to meet them. That ought to give us several hours."
"Little enough if they discover what has really happened."
"Yes; they've a great advantage of us in their horses. There's only one thing to be done. With only fourteen rifles we can't fight them. We must get back as quickly as we can. What luck to recover all our baggage!"
"There's food, too; not very much, certainly, which shows that the Tubus aren't far from their own grounds."
"True, and their tribe may number hundreds for all we know. It's a ticklish position for us. But we concealed near your camp the food we brought with us. We must all get back as quickly as possible and secure that. I only hope that we shan't be pursued, for we should stand no chance at all against mounted men."
Royce wasted no time. First of all he had the six men of the rearguard tied up like their comrades and laid at the edge of the rushes, where they would be discovered by their friends when they returned to the bridge.
Then he selected four of the Hausas to carry Challis on a litter made of their rifles. Soon the whole party was marching back along the track, John leading with six of the men armed with rifles, Royce bringing up the rear with the remainder.
There was a remarkable change in the demeanour of the negroes. Whereas before they had marched slowly, listlessly, they now stepped out with buoyant vigour. Freedom gave them new strength. The loads had been distributed among them, so that each man's burden was light; and they pressed on untiringly, only eager to get back to their homes.
Again and again Royce looked back anxiously along the track. There was no sign of pursuit. Without halting a moment the party marched on until nightfall, and then encamped, worn out, but happy, for they were pretty sure that no attack would be made on them during the dark hours. Nevertheless, Royce arranged for the guarding of the camp through the night by the Hausas in turn.
He exchanged notes with Challis about all that had happened since they parted.
"I've one hope," he said. "It is that the Tubus, knowing they have white men to deal with, will not molest us further. They have experience of what white men can do, because their lands are on French territory."
"But the French have little control over them, judging by their raids," replied Challis. "I fear we can't reckon on being left alone. They will be enraged at the loss of a fine haul of slaves, and the men we left tied up will tell them that there are only two of us. Besides, that man you call Goruba has a score against you. It is clear to me now that at first he mistook me for you."
"The whole thing is sickening," said Royce. "It looks as though our prospecting for tin is at an end. We can't proceed with hostile savages hovering about us. But we've much to be thankful for."
As soon as it was light they broke up camp and resumed the march. The long rest had greatly benefited Challis, whom, however, Royce would not allow to walk.
The condition of some of his men made Royce anxious; but the negro has great endurance, and the hope of reaching safety helped the men to keep up.
There was still no sign of pursuit, and Royce grew more and more cheerful as time went on. In the afternoon the party arrived at Challis's dismantled camp. In order to prevent a raid upon the provisions, Royce had ordered John and Gambaru not to mention where they were hidden. On reaching the spot, he led the main body of the prisoners some little distance beyond, and commanded them to rest on the ground until food was brought to them.
The calabashes were found just as John had left them. Food was served out to the whole party—sparingly, for it was impossible to tell when another supply could be obtained.
During the meal, Royce discussed the position with Challis. They decided to give the prisoners the opportunity of returning to their homes. When it was put to the poor negroes, most of them, including all the women, set off at once in different directions. But a group of the men hung back.
"Dey want to stay with Massa," John explained.
"But I don't want them. We shall have to go back to the coast."
"Dat make um berry jolly, sah," said John. "Houses burnt; no place can go; dey like berry much go with Massa."
"What do you say to that, Tom?" Royce asked of Challis.
"They had much better stay in their own country. But I suppose we can hardly turn the poor fellows away. Let them come; I daresay they'll be tired of it long before we reach Akassa."
"We'll start in about an hour, then—unless——"
"Unless what?"
"Well, the idea of chucking things up when we've come so many hundreds of miles makes me sick. I was wondering whether after all we couldn't make our way into French territory, and persuade the authorities to back us up."
Before Challis could reply, there came a shout from Gambaru, who had been stationed to keep watch.
"What does he say, John?" asked Royce.
"Him see horses, sah."
Royce sprang up, and ran to a stretch of rising ground from which the country northward was visible for some miles. One glance was enough. The negro horsemen were in pursuit.
Stooping so as to be as little visible as possible, Royce doubled back. It was clear that to march southward with a mounted enemy on their heels would be to court destruction. To take refuge in the bush or the woodland would merely postpone the disaster for a short time. What could be done?
An idea flashed into his mind. Was there time to reach the fort in which John and he had spent that unforgettable night? All depended on the number of the horsemen he had just seen. If they were the men who had forded the river, unreinforced, there was a bare chance.
By the time he regained the camp Royce had made up his mind.
"John, tell these men to carry the food and baggage into the forest yonder," he said. "You must lead them. We will make for the fort. Give Mr. Challis your rifle."
It was some minutes before the released prisoners, laden with their bundles, had got under way. Meanwhile, Royce drew up the Hausas in line, and, facing towards the oncoming horsemen, moved backward slowly towards the forest.
The carriers had not yet gained the shelter of the trees when the Tubus, some thirty in number, broke from cover and charged down upon the little party. Royce was at one end of the line, Challis at the other.
"Don't fire until I give the word," said Royce.
The horsemen rode on with shrill yells, firing as they came. But their aim was wild, and no one was hit. Slowly withdrawing, Royce kept his eye fixed on them, whispering:
"Steady! Steady! Wait for the word."
The Hausas were panting with excitement, but not a man of them lifted his rifle. At last, when the horsemen were little more than two hundred yards away, Royce dropped on his knee.
"Now, boys!" he said.
Following his example, the Hausas fired. It was a somewhat ragged volley, but at the short range almost every shot told. Many saddles were emptied; some of the enemy drew rein; others galloped on, to be met by a second volley, which completely broke the charge. The survivors wheeled their horses and dashed madly back towards the bushes from behind which they had emerged.
"Now, boys, with me!" cried Royce.
He led them at the double across the open space into the belt of woodland which John with his party had already entered. His stand had given them a respite, but there could be little doubt that this troop of the enemy was merely an advance guard, for Goruba was not among them. Everything now depended on whether the fort could be reached before Goruba came up with a much larger force.
"Step out as quickly as possible, boys," said Royce. "Their horses won't be much good to them if we get into the fort. You have done well."
John, the headman, was very intelligent. His sense of locality and direction appeared to be good. But Royce felt a little anxious about his ability to act as guide in their march towards the fort. The man had only visited it once. Hurrying to the head of the column, he said:
"You are quite sure you can find the way?"
"Nebber lose it, sah!" replied John, with a gurgling laugh at his own simple joke. "Savvy way all same quite correct."
"Very well. Remember that we all depend on you. You will save time by getting some of these new men to take turns with our boys in carrying the stuff. I leave you to arrange that."
The party now consisted of more than forty men. John went ahead with two or three of his original gang and the released prisoners, who numbered over a score. Some distance in the rear came Royce and Challis with the rest of their boys, armed.
"I'm a little doubtful whether we are doing the right thing," Royce remarked to his companion.
"Why?" asked Challis.
"Because I'm out of my element. I don't know in the least how these Tubus are likely to act. If they were a civilised enemy, I should be sure that the check we have just inflicted would not choke off the pursuit. In that case we should be doing the right thing—the only thing, in fact, to avoid extermination."
"You mean that if we have choked them off, we ought to be hurrying away to the south?"
"That's it. My experience in field days with the Scouts and the O.T.C. doesn't help much now."
"I'm not so sure of that," said Challis. "I think you have done jolly well so far."
"Well, looking at matters from the worst point of view, and assuming that the Tubus will still come after us, I don't see that we could do better than we are doing. The difficulty is this: if we get into the fort, we escape immediate destruction, but we are in no position to stand a siege. Our ammunition will hold out a good while, but our food won't."
"Still, we shall gain a little time. Perhaps they won't pursue us farther. If they do, they may sheer off when they find us behind defences. Let us hope for the best."
They were marching through thin forest on more or less undulating ground. In some places, while the trees and bush offered few obstacles to men marching on foot, they would considerably impede horsemen. In others, the country was so open that mounted men would gain on them.
Whenever they passed over stretches of open ground, they would halt for a few minutes, and scan the country behind for signs of the enemy. It was on such clear spaces that most was to be feared.
In the forest land the party had a certain advantage over mounted pursuers. They could avail themselves of cover far more effectually than was possible for horsemen. They could move nearly as fast, and more safely and secretly. A tree or a bush that would conceal a man on foot might give little cover to a horse and its rider.
They had marched for two or three hours, and had just halted on the brink of a stream for rest and refreshment, when Royce, mounting to the crest of a low hillock, caught sight of three or four horsemen amid the scrub far in their rear, on the other side of the stream.
He watched them anxiously, hoping that they were not the forerunners of a more numerous body. In a few minutes his worst anticipations were confirmed. At a little distance behind the small group of horsemen stretched a long column, vastly more numerous than the band whom he had checked and put to flight. There could be no doubt that a large force of Tubus was in hot pursuit.
With a quick eye Royce examined the ground, calculating the chances of making a stand. The hillock was covered with brushwood that gave excellent cover; the enemy, on the other hand, before they could reach the stream, must pass over a wide space of almost open land.
They had evidently descried the fugitives. Royce felt very uneasy as he caught fleeting glimpses of horsemen moving among the tall grass for some distance up and down stream. It was clear that they were taking advantage of their superior numbers to try to outflank him. There was no time to be lost if a successful resistance were to be made.
He shouted to Challis to bring all the men from the low ground up the hillock.
"We must try to make a stand here," he said. "If we go on we are bound to be ridden down."
He placed the unarmed men well to the rear, and posted the others in a crescent line behind the scrub on the crest of the hillock, facing the enemy.
"Lie flat on your faces," he said, "and fire when I give the word."
The Tubus had been advancing in column at a trot, but within a few hundred yards of the hillock they opened out into line, and came on at a gallop with fierce cries. In the centre was a gigantic negro whom Royce recognised as Goruba.
The Hausas kept absolute silence, awaiting their leader's command. It came when the Tubus were no more than two hundred yards distant. The rifles flashed; several of the horsemen fell; some halted behind the largest bushes near to them; others turned and galloped to the shelter of a clump of trees.
Royce rose on his knees, and peering over the brushwood, anxiously scanned the farther bank up and down stream. In both directions the flanking movement was continuing, and what was more serious, in response to a mighty shout from Goruba, whose tall form could be seen threading its way between the bushes in the distance, the Tubus dismounted, and tethering their horses, began to work their way forward on foot.
Royce tried to pick off the leader, who was clearly something of a strategist. But the negro took such skilful advantage of the bushes that Royce was never able to get a clear shot at him.
His intention was obvious. It was to hold the party in front, while his men crept round on each flank, and enveloped them.
"We run the risk of being surrounded," Royce called to Challis at the other end of the line; "there's nothing for it but to retreat."
To retreat, even with a disciplined force, is, as Royce knew, one of the most hazardous operations of warfare. The risks were tenfold with his Hausas, none of whom had served in the West African Rifles, who have become such excellent soldiers under the training of their British officers. But they were a compact little band, all devoted to him, and he decided to take the risk.
First sending word to the unarmed men to make all speed to the rear with their loads, he divided his little force into two parties.
"You see that ridge yonder?" he said to Challis, pointing to a bush-covered position some distance away. "Fall back to that slowly with your lot. I'll join you as soon as I can."
Challis set off. Meanwhile Royce retained his position, and kept up a steady fire on the enemy as they advanced, creeping on yard by yard under cover of the bushes.
"Whenever you see a man, shoot!" said Royce to the Hausas. "Don't shoot without marking your man."
The Tubus made no use of their firearms. Royce and his men were hidden from them by the brushwood, and they did not waste their shots on an enemy whom they could not see. No doubt, Royce reflected, this was a mode of warfare to which they were unaccustomed. They were used to carry all before them in a dashing charge, and he wondered at their persistence under the new conditions.
Presently a shrill whistle from the rear announced that Challis had taken up his position on the ridge. The space between was a long undulation, only a few yards of which, at the rearward end, were in view of the enemy.
"Now, boys, run!" said Royce.
Heading his men, he sprinted down the incline, rushed up the farther acclivity, and dashed past Challis and his party, calling to Challis to hold the Tubus until he had gained a new position still farther to the rear.
He noticed a clump of trees a little to the right, nearer the bank of the river, and made straight for that. As he ran towards it, he came within view of the horsemen working round on the left flank. They immediately wheeled round, and galloped hard in pursuit.
But their course brought them below the ridge on which, all unknown to them, Challis and his band lay concealed. As they rode past, within range of about a hundred yards, a sudden volley on their right flank sent some of them reeling to the ground. The rest, taken all aback, swerved to the left, and dashed frantically away towards their main body, who had now become aware that the hillock was deserted, and were surging up it.
"Well done, Tom!"
The ringing words came faintly from the rear. Challis brushed his sleeve across his sweating brow, and ordered his men to run with him.
It was something to have gained half-an-hour without the loss of a man.
Taking advantage of the flight of the flanking party, Royce pushed on as soon as he was rejoined by Challis, in order to gain a denser portion of the forest, where the pursuers would be much more impeded than his own men.
He had two other reasons. The carriers had gone on by themselves, without guidance, and it was probable that they would take a wrong direction. Further, there was a possibility that in the absence of the white men they would be seized with panic, and stampede, leaving their loads. The Hausas could not at once carry and fight, and all the fighting strength would be needed if the enemy still came on.
It seemed that the double check which the Tubus had suffered had daunted them, at any rate for the time being; for Royce, looking back, saw no sign of their having crossed the ridge.
About ten minutes later he came up with the carriers, who, on reaching the edge of the thicker woodland, had prudently halted from fear of losing the way. John again went ahead with them as guide, Challis following at a short interval with his section, and Royce with the remainder acting as rearguard.
The march through the forest entailed a disadvantage which almost outweighed its advantages from the point of view of security. It was impossible to see what the enemy were doing. They might have given up the chase; they might be pressing on in the rear; they might still be working round on the flanks, avoiding the woodland area, and outspeeding the fugitives on more open ground.
For this reason Royce forced the pace as much as possible. From his rather hazy recollection the fort was still five or six miles away, a distance which he could scarcely hope to cover under three hours.
By degrees the forest thinned, and after about two hours' marching it opened upon the lake which Royce had skirted on his return from the village. By this time everybody was tired and hungry.
"We must take a spell of rest," he said to Challis. "I think it's scarcely likely the Tubus have come through the forest after us."
"I'm glad enough," replied Challis. "A little more of this, and I shall crock up again."
"Poor old chap! We must avoid that. It's certainly hard on you after what you've gone through. Down loads, John. Serve out a meal. The boys can drink from the lake; but let them beware of crocodiles."
"A thing has occurred to me," said Challis, as he sat with Royce waiting until John had roasted some nuts for them. "Will Goruba suspect that we are making for the fort, and get there first?"
"I don't think so. He is more likely to suppose that we are returning to the village where we got our supplies. This is the direct route towards it; the fort lies more to the left."
"That relieves my mind. But it's a pity we can't tell what the enemy are doing."
"I'll go reconnoitring presently. The fort can't be more than a mile or two away, and as it stands on an eminence it ought to be visible from the cliff over there."
He pointed to the high ground which bordered one side of the lake.
"I'm inclined to think they have given it up," he continued. "Negroes aren't very persevering as a rule, and they've had enough to damp their spirits. It would be absurd to look for the same persistence in them that you would expect in a civilised and disciplined enemy.... Well, John," he added, as the Hausa came up with some roasted nuts spread on broad leaves, "is this the best you can do for us?"
"Not good dinner all same, sah," said John, with a rueful look. "Get rabbit some day."
"Yes, there's plenty of game about the fort, isn't there? Which is lucky for us, considering that we have so many more mouths to feed."
Poor as the fare was, they ate it with a good appetite. Then Royce rose.
"I'll come with you," said Challis. "I'm curious to take a look at this fort of yours."
"Come along, then. It's only about two hundred yards to the top of the cliff. John will give us warning if anything happens."
Taking their rifles they set off, walking round the margin of the lake. On their left stretched an open grassy space, beyond which was the forest from which they had lately emerged.
The ground rose gradually. They were halfway up the ascent to the cliff when Royce stopped suddenly.
"What on earth's that?" he said.
They halted, puzzled to account for a strange noise which seemed to proceed from the forest on their left. At first a dull rumble, it grew in a few seconds to a succession of heavy thuds, becoming louder moment by moment, and mingled with sharp cracks like pistol shots.
"It can't be the Tubus charging through the trees," said Challis.
A shout from behind caused them to turn their heads. The men had leapt to their feet, and were standing in a huddled group, with every sign of fear. One, a young negro from among the released prisoners, was sprinting towards them at full speed.
"We had better go back," said Royce, "or they'll get into a panic. The row is terrific. A thousand cavalry couldn't make such an uproar.... Great Scott!"
AT THE EDGE OF THE CLIFFAT THE EDGE OF THE CLIFF
Through the leafy screen of the forest a hundred yards away there had emerged a large elephant, plunging forward at a lumbering gallop with trunk uplifted. In another fraction of a second the whole of the light timber and brushwood at the edge of the forest appeared to dissolve, and a wild mob of scores of elephants burst like an enormous breaker upon the open space.
Petrified for a moment with amazement, the two Englishmen became suddenly alive to their peril. Whether they went on in the direction intended, or returned to their men, they would equally cut across the front of this stampeding herd and must be overwhelmed.
"Straight for the edge of the cliff!" cried Royce.
They dropped their rifles and dashed to the right. It was forty or fifty yards to the edge of the cliff; the elephants were already only about half that distance behind them, gaining moment by moment. The ground shook under the tremendous charge of the maddened beasts. To the fleeing men it seemed that the breath from the gaping mouths scorched them.
A small spur of the cliff jutted to the left. The runners swung round on to this and without a moments' pause took a header into the lake twenty feet below.
When they came up to the surface they had to fight for breath in a cauldron of broken water. They were both good swimmers, or they would never have survived the sort of Niagara swirl in which they were now hurled about and buffeted.
Only their instinctive leap to the left before they made the dive had saved them from destruction. It had prevented the elephants from falling on top of them, for some of the great beasts, charging straight ahead in a blind fury, had plunged headlong over the brink into the lake.
The turmoil of the water soon subsided, and the swimmers, on regaining the use of their faculties, found themselves in the company of the scattered herd, all swimming in search of a landing-place.
In a few moments Royce caught at a branch of an overhanging tree, and both he and Challis drew themselves up among the foliage, and watched the ungainly animals swim by.
"Hope it's cooled their rage," said Royce in gasps. "We've had a narrow squeak."
"Yes, indeed! Under several tons of elephant flesh we should have been pretty well flattened out. What made them stampede, I wonder?"
"Our scent, perhaps. I hope they weren't started by the Tubus."
"We had better get back. It will be rather a feat to climb the cliff, by the look of it."
They crept along the tree to the place where it sprang from the cliff, then clambered up the steep face with the aid of straggling plants and knobby projections.
When their heads appeared over the edge, there were loud shouts of joy, and John came rushing up at the head of the whole party of negroes.
"Fink you gone dead, sah," he said, his broad face beaming. "All alive and safe and sound, and always merry and bright. Yoi-aloo! Hurray!"
"Yes, we're all right," said Royce. "Is that my rifle?"
"All gone smash, sah," returned John, lifting the rifle which he had picked up from the ground. "Massa Chally's all right, sah."
The lock and barrel of Royce's rifle had been smashed beyond repair by the ponderous hoofs. Challis's was unbroken.
"Tibu, sah—where he go?" asked John, as they marched down to their camping place.
"Who's Tibu?"
John explained that when the startling sounds came from the forest, Tibu, one of the released negroes, had recognised them at once as made by stampeding elephants, and had run up the cliff to warn the Englishmen.
"Of course; I saw him just before we ran," said Challis. "Let us turn back and look for him."
But though they spent some time in searching the cliff above and below, they found no trace of Tibu. He was never seen again. It could only be surmised that, like the Englishmen, he had fled towards the edge of the cliff, but, less lucky than they, had fallen into the water directly beneath the elephants, and been crushed to death.
Only a few of the elephants had plunged into the lake. The majority had skirted it and disappeared into the woodland beyond.
"John, send a man to fetch Kulana," said Royce. "It is time we were off."
Before the Hausa dispatched by John had gone out of sight, he met Kulana hurrying back from the northward post to which he had been sent to watch the progress of the enemy.
Kulana reported that a small party of Tubus had caught sight of him as they emerged from a clump of trees some distance away. They had pursued him and almost run him down when the rush of stampeding elephants caused them to wheel their horses and flee for their lives. He himself only escaped being trampled to death by taking shelter behind a large tree, where he had remained until the storm swept by.
Learning from John that the course taken by the elephants was almost the direction of the fort, Royce had an idea.
"Why not follow in the track of the elephants?" he said to Challis. "They will clear the Tubus off our line of march, at least for a time, and if we march rapidly we may get through before they have rallied."
"We can try, but I doubt it," replied Challis. "The elephants are going at such a thundering speed that they are miles away by this time, and the Tubus won't have any reason to be afraid of them. Still, there's nothing else to be done, and we had better start at once."
In a few minutes the baggage was loaded on to the released prisoners, and the party set off, John leading the way with Royce and half the Hausas, the carriers following, and Challis with the rest of the armed men bringing up the rear.
There was no difficulty in following the track of the elephants. It was as though a tornado had swept over the country. A path several yards wide had been cut through the scrub and the thin forest. Tall grass and shrubs had been crushed flat, saplings broken off like matchwood. Only large trees had survived the rush, and the ground was strewn with the lower branches of these.
Royce went a good distance ahead of the carriers. They marched as quickly as possible, but, laden as they were, their pace did not exceed the rate of two and a half miles an hour. If the fort, as Royce believed, were still about five miles away, he could not but confess to himself that Challis's doubt was justified. He repressed his anxiety and impatience, keeping as careful a lookout as the nature of the country permitted.
When they had followed the track for a little more than a mile, John caught sight of an object in the distance that caused him to halt. At first he was unable to determine what the object was, but when Royce persuaded him to advance a few paces he declared excitedly that it was a fallen horse.
Royce ordered his men to extend and scout carefully forward. Coming presently to the horse he saw that it was dead, and beyond it, hitherto hidden from sight, lay a dead negro, his body terribly crushed.
What had happened was clear. The hapless rider had been caught by the elephants, and overthrown before he could extricate himself from the undergrowth. With a shudder Royce passed on.
Some little distance farther on John halted again.
"What is it now?" asked Royce, whom the slow progress was making more and more uneasy.
"No go fort way, sah," replied the man. "Fort dat way, elephants go dis."
He pointed first straight ahead through the forest, then to the right, the direction in which the elephants had rushed. It was clear from the marks of devastation that the beasts had not yet checked their furious pace. Royce wondered what had caused a panic which was so persistent.
"We had better go after the elephants," he said after a few moments' consideration. "It is out of our way, you say, but it will be at any rate clear of Tubus."
Accordingly they struck off to the right. The forest here was somewhat denser, and though the small trees and undergrowth had been pretty well levelled by the elephants' ponderous bodies, the tangle made marching very difficult. Royce halted several times in order that he might not altogether lose touch with the carriers behind.
After another half-hour's tramp the course of the elephants took another turn to the right.
"We simply daren't follow it any longer," said Royce, mopping his wet brow. "It will take us much too far out of our way. In fact, I daresay you have lost your way already."
John did not repeat his little joke. His downcast expression indicated plainly enough that he was now at fault. He glanced up at the sun through the over-arching trees, and at last hesitatingly suggested a direction in which they might proceed.
"Unless you have been quite wrong all along, we can't be very far from the fort now," said Royce. "But as we couldn't see it for the trees we might go right past it without knowing. Perhaps the country opens out, however, so let us try it."
Leaving the track they plunged through the forest, dodging the thorns and forcing their way through the entanglements of undergrowth and creepers. It was very hot work, and Royce felt as tired as if he had marched twenty miles on end.
After a quarter of an hours' toilsome progress they came suddenly to the edge of the forest; and there, almost straight ahead, less than a mile away, they saw the fort, a brown, sunlit patch on the hillock.
"Savvy all same, sah," cried John in delight.
"Yes, you are either very clever or very lucky," said Royce. "I hope our troubles are now over for a time. We must wait here, just within the forest line, until the others come up."
He leant against a tree, looking out over the space of rolling country between him and his goal. It was open save for scrub; there was no sign of man or beast.
But he had waited only a few minutes when two negro horsemen came out from behind a distant clump of trees, crossed the open space, and disappeared to the westward.
Royce's anxiety returned with doubled force. It was almost certain that these Tubus had been lurking on the watch in the neighbourhood of the fort. They might indeed have been sent ahead by Goruba to ascertain whether the fort was yet occupied. In all probability a larger party of their people was not far away.
It seemed hours before the carriers came up. Challis was close behind them with his party.
"Thank goodness!" exclaimed Royce. "There's the fort, as you see. But we must let the men rest awhile, and then make a dash for it."
"Why not go straight on?"
"I saw two Tubus cross yonder. If we're to get there safely we must put on our best speed; we can't go at this terrible dawdle—less than two miles an hour lately."
"I am sure we had better go on. If the men drop their loads they will become noisy, and the Tubus may hear them. Let's take the bull by the horns, old man."
"Very well, then. We must keep close together; it would be fatal to get scattered. But we'll go in the same order. John, tell the carriers they must move quickly and silently. Now, are you ready?"