e! Armed men, Gedge, for I could see the flashing of
the sunshine off their weapons."

"Phee-ew!" whistled Gedge. "See us, sir?"

"I hope not. But they are going in a direction which will take them
right across our road just at the same time as we reach the spot."

"That's awk'ard, sir. But I thought we'd been getting high up here
because there'd be no people to hinder us."

"So I thought, my lad; but this is an exception. These people are
crossing the mountain-passes, possibly to join the tribes besieging the
fort."

"And what about them yonder?" said Gedge, nodding to the right.

"What! You don't mean to say that you can see more in that direction?"

As Bracy spoke he snatched out the glass he was replacing, and held it
half-way to his eyes, for he did not need it. The object seen was too
plain against the sky-line, where a few tiny figures could be seen, and
trailing down a slope from them towards the east was a long, white,
irregular line, which the glass directly after proved to be a strong
body of followers.

"Same sort, sir?" said Gedge coolly.

"Yes; going as if to cut us off. Gedge, we must start back into the
little valley, and follow it up, so as to get into another. It means
miles more to tramp; but we can do nothing in this direction."

"Right, sir. When you're ready."

"But we can't walk right away, for these last would see us. We must
crawl for a few yards to those rocks below there."

The next minute they were on all-fours, crawling from stone to stone--a
laborious task, laden as they were; but, short as the distance was, they
had not half-covered it before Bracy whispered sharply:

"Flat down. Perhaps they have not seen us."

"Not they, sir. They were too far off."

"Hush! Don't you see--right in front, four or five hundred yards away--
those four men stalking us? Why, Gedge, they see our coats as we crawl,
and are taking us for sheep."

"Ah-h!" ejaculated Gedge, as for the first time he realised the fresh
danger threatening them, in the shape of a little party, evidently
coming from the direction of their last night's resting-place. As he
saw that one of them had thrown himself down, and, dragging his gun
after him, was making for a heap of stones, from whence he evidently
intended to fire, Gedge prepared to meet the shot in military fashion.

"Trying to stalk us, sir. You're right; that's it. Give me the word,
and I'll open fire. He'll think he never stalked such