e fire; as he fell from the
saddle, as it stopped, he was caught by two of the others. Three
spears had pierced him.

"Stand to your arms. Steady, for your lives," Reuben shouted.

"Jim, throw the horses at once, and fasten their legs.

"We must defend ourselves here," he continued, turning to the
others, "until help comes."

Not a moment was lost. The little party threw themselves down in a
circle, each taking shelter behind a bush; and Jim speedily got the
eight horses down in the centre, for each party had with it three
of the spare animals. The whole time, from the first alarm until
all was ready to receive the natives, did not occupy two minutes.

The horses of the sentries had galloped wildly on, both having been
struck by spears; and Jim had no difficulty with the remainder,
which were all standing in a group when the alarm was given, the
owners not yet having removed their saddles.

All was done without flurry or excitement, although the yells of
the natives rose from the bush all round them. The bush was
fortunately not very thick at the point where they had halted,
Reuben having selected it for that very reason; but the bushes were
sufficiently near to each other to enable an enemy to creep up,
within thirty yards or so, without being seen.

"Don't throw away a shot," Reuben called out; "but pick off the
blacks, as they stand up to throw their spears.

"Ah!"

The exclamation was accompanied by a shot from his rifle, as a
native rose suddenly from the bush and hurled his spear. It missed
Reuben by an inch or two only; but, as his rifle flashed out, the
black threw up his hands and fell back in the bush.

"Here, sah, dis make good shelter;" and Jim propped up his saddle,
almost in front of him.

"That's a good idea, Jim; help the others in the same way."

[Illustration: A Fight with the Black Fellows.]

The five men were all engaged now. The spears whizzed fast over and
among them, but most of them were thrown almost at random; for the
blacks soon learned that to raise themselves above the bushes, to
take aim, was to court sudden death. Jim, after distributing the
saddles to their owners, had lain down by the side of his master;
and loaded his rifle as fast as he discharged it, Reuben using his
pistols as effectually as the rifle, in the intervals.

Fortunately all the party were provided with these weapons. Had it
not been so, each man would have been liable to be rushed by the
blacks every t