orests, and beaten back wild
beasts and howling savages.

Buttons, prostrate on the ground, looked up, gasping through the
smoke and dust, as he struggled with his assailants. He saw the
Senator, his hair bristling out straight, his teeth set, his eye on
fire, his whole expression sublimed by the ardor of battle. His
clothes were torn to shreds; his coat was gone, his hat nowhere,
his hands and face were covered with clots of blood and streaks
from mud, dust, smoke, and powder.

The eye of Buttons took in all this in one glance. The next instant,
with a wide sweep of his clubbed rifle the Senator put forth all
his gigantic strength in one tremendous effort. The shock was
irresistible. Down went the six bandits as though a cannon-ball had
struck them. The Senator leaped away to relieve Dick, and seizing
his assailant by neck and heel, flung him over the cliff. Then
tearing away another from Mr. Figgs's prostrate and almost
senseless form, he rushed back upon the six men whom he had just
levelled to the earth.

Dick sprang to the relief of Buttons, who was at his last extremity.
But the Doctor was before him, as cool as ever. He grasped one fellow
by the throat--a favorite trick of the Doctor's, in which his
anatomical knowledge came very finely into play:

"Off!" rang the Doctor's voice.

The fellow gasped a curse. The next instant a roar burst through the
air, and the wretch fell heavily forward, shot through the head,
while his brains were splattered over the face of Buttons. The
Doctor with a blow of his fist sent the other fellow reeling over.

Buttons sprang up gasping. The Italians were falling back. He called
to the Senator. That man of might came up. Thank God they were all
alive! Bruised, and wounded, and panting--but alive.

The scowling bandits drew off, leaving seven of their number on the
road _hors de combat_. Some of the retreating ones had been badly
treated, and limped and staggered. The Club proceeded to load their
rifles.

The Doctor stepped forward. Deliberately aiming he fired his revolver
five times in rapid succession. Before he had time to load again the
bandits had darted into the woods.

"Every one of those bullets _hit_," said the Doctor with unusual
emphasis.

"We must get under cover at once," said Dick. "They'll be back
shortly with others!"

"Then we must fortify our position," said the Senator, "and wait for
relief. As we were, though, it was lucky they tried a hand-to-hand