with ropes round their neck,
always made a desperate resistance.

Half the journey was accomplished without incident, and Reuben felt
satisfied that they would, at least, have no trouble with the tribe
they had scattered in the morning. The speedy start that they had
made had taken them beyond their pursuit; and if attacked, it would
be by other tribes.

After an hour's halt, to feed the horses and cook some meat for
themselves, the party proceeded again. Another fifteen miles were
passed; then Reuben saw the sergeant, with the little party ahead,
suddenly draw rein. He galloped forward to them.

"What is it, sergeant?"

"I am pretty sure I saw a black fellow's head, over that rock, sir.
It's a nasty piece of ground. I noticed it yesterday, as I came
along. It would be the worst place to be attacked in of any we have
passed. If the blacks are here in force, they know what they are
doing."

Reuben examined the position. It was certainly a nasty place to be
attacked in. The valley was narrow, and thickly strewn with
boulders of all sizes, which had rolled down from the hillsides.
Among these the bush grew thickly, and it was only down a narrow
path in the centre, formed by a winter stream, now dry, that
horsemen could pass.

"I don't think it would do to make a bolt through that, sir," the
sergeant said, shaking his head. "We could only ride two abreast
and, if they are strong, we should be riddled with spears before we
got through; and there's no charging them, among those stones and
bush."

"That is so, sergeant. We shall have to dismount, and drive them
out foot by foot. There's nothing else for it."

By this time all the party had come up, and Reuben explained to
them the situation. All at once agreed that they could do nothing
on horseback, on such ground.

The whole party therefore dismounted. The horses were tied to
bushes, and the prisoner securely fastened to a tree. Then, rifle
in hand, they moved forward.

The sergeant's eye had not deceived him for, as they approached the
spot where the boulders and bush grew thickest, a shower of spears
was thrown, and the native cry rose shrill in the air. The party
were advancing in skirmishing order; and most of them threw
themselves down, or dodged behind rocks, as the blacks rose to
throw their spears and, a moment later, the rifles cracked out.
Several of the blacks fell, and the rest disappeared among the
bushes.

"Make your way forward, steadily and