he sneaked through the forest, his senses all alert, for now,
at any moment, he might come full upon the enemy. Suddenly he heard
voices, and at the sound crouched on his face. Then there came the
rustle of vines and leaves, the soft tread of naked feet, and the dull
blow of something harder striking the trunk of a tree. The voices grew
louder, and, to Dick's consternation, they seemed to be coming directly
towards him. He looked about him like a hunted animal, saw an immense
cotton tree with wide-spreading roots, just such another as had
sheltered the party during the storm which they had encountered in the
forest, and promptly crept into the narrow archway beneath. He was
barely in time. Hardly had he squatted in the shadow, and found an
aperture for his rifle, when a group of natives came into view, slashing
the vines and creepers with their knives. And in their midst, his
wide-awake hat and sallow features making him conspicuous, appeared
James Langdon, his face convulsed, while his hands and teeth were
clenched with rage. He could hardly speak, but turned every now and
again towards the stockade and shook his fists, while he growled out an
oath.

Once more Dick's rifle went to his shoulder, his cheek lay down on the
stock, and he aligned the sights dead upon the half-caste's forehead.
One pressure of the finger, the gentlest pull, and the man would be
slain. The temptation was great, the call for such action clear, and
yet, and yet--

"Be a sportsman," whispered Dick to himself. "Shoot a fellow in cold
blood, Dick Stapleton, even though he be a rogue and a robber? Never!"

He lowered the rifle, while the half-caste, all unconscious of his
danger, snatched his hat from his head, and called a halt. It was clear
that he was baffled. One could see it on his ugly, resentful face.
There was a scowl in his every look, while his eyes, when he turned them
towards the stockade, flashed in a manner which boded little good to the
defenders, should they come into his power.

"They have us beaten, comrades," he suddenly exclaimed, while at the
words the scowl became even more pronounced. "This white man is the
cause of our failure. He must have suspected, else how comes it that
when we arrived they bolted to their lair? There was a shout as we came
from the trees, and then the men at the heads of the shafts began to
wind for their lives. In two minutes they were all racing for the
stockade, and when we got