ined to sell our lives dearly should they
attack us, as we had no doubt they would; while with terrific shrieks
they came bounding towards us, some with their spears ready to dart,
others flourishing their axes and clubs.

"I'll pick off the leading fellow, and you fire at the next," cried
Mudge; and I was on the point of obeying him, when Pullingo started up
and uttered some words in his own language, the meaning of which we
could not understand.

The natives stopped, and Pullingo cried out to us, "Don't shoot! don't
shoot!" He was but just in time. "Dey not enemy," he said.

He now advanced and exchanged a few hurried words with the natives, who,
I had very little doubt, were in pursuit of the black we had previously
seen; but, of course, we did not let them know that he had passed us.
Having exchanged a few more words with Pullingo, they continued their
course in the direction the fugitive had taken, while we returned with
Pullingo to the camp.

On the way he told us that the fugitive had committed a murder or some
other crime, and that the avengers were following him to take his life.
Alas! for him, poor wretch! there was no city of refuge in the land; and
unless he could exhibit more cunning and endurance than his seven
pursuers, his fate was sealed, and probably ere the sun had set he would
be numbered with the dead.

We were thankful for our escape, for had we killed one of them in our
ignorance of their intentions, the others would have set upon us; and we
should either have been compelled to shoot the whole of them, or have
been pierced through and through with their lances. It was, at all
events, fortunate that Pullingo had come up just at the right moment.

Before we reached the camp he resumed his shirt and trousers, which, for
some reason or other which he did not explain, he had hidden away in the
bush. I could not help fancying that he knew his countrymen might pass
by that way; and having found out where we were, he had come to warn us
of our danger.

We narrated the adventure to my father and the rest of the party; and
after the description we gave of the blacks, they expressed a hope that
we should not fall in with them.

Our game, as we had expected, was ready for taking off the spits; and as
soon as we had discussed it, we prepared for our departure.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

VISITED BY MORE BLACKS ON OUR MARCH--WONDER AT OUR THUNDER-MAKERS--A
PERMANENT CAMP FORMED--MUDGE AND I SET OFF TO