aid, with decision. "There are the men and the stockade to
be thought of. Besides, I have to think of the gold. I must get to the
stockade and join my men. Then we can decide what course to take."

He lay in his hiding-place for hours, till the twilight came, and then
he crept to the clearing and looked out to see if he could discover the
position of the natives who formed the inner circle about the stockade.
He had heard a shot every now and again, and now as he stared from
amidst the ferns and vines, he saw first one and then a dozen dusky
prostrate figures, hiding behind boulders of large size, or masses of
bush which happened to lie in the open, and which they had been able to
reach by stealthily crawling across to them upon their bellies. At the
back of the stockade, seeming in that half light to stand on the very
top of it, were more figures, half concealed, keeping watch upon the
place.

"Very good," said Dick, as he lay in the bush. "I know where they are
at least, and must try to avoid them. Go I must, and if any man comes
in my way, why--"

He rose to his knees and drew the short sword with which Mr Pepson had
provided him. Satisfied that it would easily free itself from the
scabbard, he inspected his revolver and popped that back into its case.
Then his rifle went across his shoulder, and with a hitch he shortened
the sling till there was no danger of the weapon swinging about. Half
an hour later twilight had gone and darkness had settled down upon
clearing and forest.

"This is my only chance," said Dick, as he rose to his feet. "There
will be darkness for a few minutes, and then the moon will be up. I
must make a bold dash for it."

He swung the rifle back on to his shoulders, drew his sword and
revolver, and struck off across the clearing in the direction of the
stockade.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

BESIEGERS AND BESIEGED.

It was intensely dark in the clearing, as our hero struck into it, but
by contrast with the shadows in the depths of the forest it was light,
so that he could see a few feet before him. He could distinguish
vaguely the outline of the rocky crest near the summit of which the
stockade was posted, and beyond it and to one side the dull black band
of the encircling forest. In one direction there was a faint glimmer in
the sky, the herald of the rising moon, while a glare rose above the
stockade, not intense, to be sure, but sufficient to tell him that a
fire was burning the