slope seemed to rise. But they could see only a little way forward,
from the winding nature of the gorge, which now grew more and more
narrow.

"Not so far to fall," said Bracy coolly, "if we do come to a fight."

"Deep enough to break our necks," grumbled Roberts. "Here, I say, it
will be dark soon; look how black it looks below. I wish those fellows
had not cheered; it was like telling the enemy we were coming on, for
they must be round the corner yonder. There--look!"

As he spoke one of the men in front suddenly turned and pointed to where
the gorge was at its narrowest.

"Yes, we can see them, my lad. Keep a sharp lookout to the rear," he
shouted to the men behind. "We shall be hearing from them now, Bracy,
for, take my word for it, they're flocking along the path. Well, we
shall have to fight in the dark, old man, like rats, in this confounded
trap."

"Very well," said Bracy between his teeth, as he took out and examined
the chambers of his revolver, before he replaced it in its leather
holster; "if the dogs do come on I mean to bite."

CHAPTER SEVEN.

BOOTS FOR BOOTY.

"Well, you needn't bite this time, old fellow," cried Roberts, with a
sigh of relief, as a burst of cheers arose faintly from the front once
more, to be taken up and run down the column, even the native mule and
camel drivers joining in, till it reached the company which formed the
rear-guard. "What does this mean?" cried Bracy excitedly. "That we're
too far back to know what is going on in the front. Those are not
enemies, but friends."

"What! people from the station come to meet us?"

"That's the right nail, struck well on the head, old chap; and I'm jolly
glad of it, for I feel more like feeding than fighting, I can tell you."

"Roberts, old fellow, this seems too good to be true," cried Bracy
joyfully.

"But for once in a way it is true. Push on, my lads; there'll be
something better than bullets for a welcome to-night."

Roberts was right, for upon the last of the weary beasts bearing the
baggage reaching the end of the defile, the young officers found
themselves face to face with a couple of companies of their
fellow-countrymen, bronzed, toil-worn looking men, many of them bearing
the marks of hardly-healed sword-cuts, and looking overstrained and thin
as if from anxiety and overwork, but one and all with their faces lit up
by the warmth of the welcome they were ready to give the regiment which
had come to the