men a dozen yards
below. Then _shot_--_shot_--_shot_ followed one another quickly, and
Lenny cried--

"Down, gentlemen, down!"

The doctor dropped instinctively, and began to creep to Ned, who had
fallen heavily, when he heard Lenny cry--

"Down, Mr Jack--down!" and he saw the lad standing motionless, staring
with horror at the ground.

The next instant something whizzed by his ear and struck quivering in
the tree-trunk behind. Then he dropped into shelter, and began rapidly
to reload.

"Fall back on us, my lads," said the doctor sharply, "and don't fire
unless you have a good chance. Keep well under cover."

"The blacks?" panted Jack.

The doctor nodded. "Is Ned--hurt much?"

"Can't tell yet, my lad. How are you, Ned--much hurt?"

"Oh, it hurts, sir, horrid," said the man faintly; "but I shouldn't mind
that. It's feeling so sea-sick and swimming I mind. Let's go back to
the yacht."

"Yes, of course; but you can't walk."

"But I will walk, sir; must walk. 'Tain't my leg, it's my arm," cried
the man, who was sick with agony, but full of spirit. "Who's going to
carry a fellow in a place like this?"

"Much hurt, mate?" said Lenny, who now crept to them on all fours.

"What's the good o' asking stupid questions, old 'un?" cried Ned
petulantly. "Course I'm much hurt. Can't you see it's gone right into
my arm? Why look at this--gone right through. Going to cut the
arrow-head out, sir?"

"No," replied the doctor sharply. "Kneel, and be a man. I won't hurt
you more than I can help."

"All right, sir. No use hollering," cried Ned cheerily.

"Look out there!" cried one of the sailors from below. "They're going
to rush us!"

"Never mind me, sir," said Ned, letting himself sink back. "You three
has to fight. Nasty cowardly beggars--shooting a man behind his back!
Let 'em have it, I say."

He had hardly spoken when the men below fired a little volley across the
gully, and then there was a cheer.

"That's scut 'em to the right-about, sir. We've dropped two," cried one
of the men, and they crept back under the dense cover to where Ned lay.

The doctor had seized his gun, but he laid it down again, and took out a
keen-bladed knife.

"Thought you wasn't going to cut out the head, sir?" said Ned faintly.

"I am not," replied the doctor.

"Oh, don't you mind me, sir. I tell you I won't shout. You do what's
right. I know it must come out; but I'd take it kindly, Mr Jack, sir,
if you'd