up
beneath him, and he would repeat the whole process. "Hoot! Hoot!"
There it was again. A third sentry had been approached, but Dick could
not see him even though he was so close.

"Which shows me clearly how difficult the task is," he thought. "But
for those fellows going the rounds I should have walked right on to this
batch of sentries, and then there would have been a row. Hullo! Some
one else is on the alert."

He could have laughed, for as the natives went on their way and repeated
their signal, the Ashanti miners in the stockade must have carefully
listened. Then they thought they espied the enemy, standing against a
piece of open ground which happened to be exceptionally light in colour.
Suddenly a single shot rang out, the detonation startling every one,
and making our hero jump. For a single instant the stockade became
outlined, and Dick thought he saw heads peeping up above the baulks of
timber. Then all was darkness again and silence, save for the hoot of
the native chief and the answer of the sentry.

"Time to be moving on," thought Dick. "I have barely half an hour in
which to reach friends, and now is my opportunity. These fellows here
will have their attention distracted by the call of their comrades going
the rounds. I may manage to get through. In any case I shall chance
it, and if I am discovered I shall make a dash for the stockade. I
suppose I shall have to run the chance of being shot, for how can my own
men know that I am not one of the enemy? That also I must risk.
Anything better than to be out here alone."

Inch by inch he made his way across the open in the direction of the
hill, his eyes turning from side to side, while he halted every minute.
He was quite cool now. The imminence of his danger, the knowledge that
there were enemies very near and on either hand, seemed to have braced
his nerves. His heart had ceased to thump like a sledge-hammer against
his ribs, while he could no longer feel his pulses beating and throbbing
till it was almost painful. He had need of every faculty, of coolness
and courage, and he did not mean to throw away a chance. Hush! A man,
the sentry on his right, sat up suddenly, and as Dick crouched he could
see that the fellow was listening. He had heard something which had
aroused his suspicions, and with all the keenness of a native for the
chase he would probe the matter to the bottom, he would not be satisfied
to rest till he had cleared