their
wounds.

The passing of the mouths of these gorges was a crucial task, from its
being almost a certainty that part of one or the other of the tribes
would be, stationed there. But the slow approaches and all the caution
exercised, as far as Bracy could judge, were waste of energy: not an
enemy was seen, and when, twice over, rifles were brought to the ready,
and their bearers stood prepared to fire at the foe rustling along among
the low growth and tangle, it was to find, to their great relief, that
the alarm was caused in the first instance by goat-like sheep, and in
the other by a bear, which had been feasting upon the berries growing
low down the cliff towards the hidden torrent.

The sun was long past the meridian, and, in spite, of the height, their
shut-in position made the breathless valley seem hotter than ever, while
the thorny nature of the low growth hindered them so much that at last
Bracy had hard work to force his way through a tangled mass, whose
thorny hooks clung to the _poshtin_ he was wearing, and kept on robbing
it of its wool. This brought them to a standstill, and Gedge, who had
just freed himself from similar hindrances, stepped back, with his
dagger-like bayonet in his hand, with which he delivered a few sharp
cuts, and Bracy struggled out.

"Ha!" he said; "that's better."

"Yus, sir; these are handier tools than the old-fashioned bay'nets; but
what we ought to have had was a couple o' those pretty, bill-hooky
blades the Ghoorkha boys use. They'd make short work of briars and
brambles and things. Toothpicks, our lads calls 'em; and the little
fellows the Toothpick Brigade.--Tired, sir?"

"Terribly!" said Bracy. "This is awful going; but we shall be out of
the wood before many hours have passed. We might have avoided this by
striking up to the left, but I felt that it was not safe. Better be
slow and sure. Look, my lad, it is more open yonder, and seems like a
way down to the torrent. We've earned a rest, and we must have one.
Let's get down to where we can reach water, and lighten our load by
making a meal."

Gedge's eyes sparkled, and he led on at once, reaching at the end of
some hundred paces a sharp slope, which showed traces of the moss and
ferns having been trampled down, while twigs were broken here and there,
some being left hanging, and others snapped sharp off!

"People been along here, Gedge," said Bracy, taking suspicious notice of
the signs around.

"No, sir