and showed him two
figures. One was the half-caste, while beside him, bending low as they
crept across the compound, was a native, the glint from his enormous
blade coming to Dick's eyes.

"A ruse! We have lost the birds," he heard the half-caste growl
huskily, as if his anger were choking him. "But they are close. I know
they are near us. Hah! Look there, chief. Afire. Look! a fire!"

They were quite close by now, and Dick saw them both start back. Then,
as they caught sight of the spluttering devil and took in the situation,
he saw them turn to run.

"A mine! A mine!" shouted the half-caste.

Leaping to his feet, he ran towards the gate of the stockade, the native
abreast of him, and close on their heels came Dick, aglow with
excitement. He was bent on escape. He felt the doors of retreat
closing on him, and he was determined to get away. Suddenly James
Langdon turned and gripped the native. Then he swung round, as if a
thought had occurred to him, and he had realised that there was time yet
to save an explosion. Indeed, that was his thought, and he at once ran
back to the stockade. An instant later he saw Dick's figure bounding
towards him in the darkness. He gave vent to a shout, and then crashed
up against a boulder which happened to lie there, for our hero's fist
had struck him full on the chest. The blow almost staggered Dick, too,
but he recovered his balance in a moment, and, swinging round, dealt the
native a fierce stroke on the chin, sending him reeling. After that he
was off like lightning. He was out of the gate ere a second had passed,
and, darting round the stockade, was soon clambering up to the crest.
Nor did he halt till he had reached the summit.

"Rest a moment," said the voice of the chief. "I heard the commotion,
and I am glad to report that the men who followed you into the place
fled down the hill. See the smoke coming from the hut. And there are
the flames. We will move when you are ready."

Some five minutes later the two set off for the forest, the native
leading, for he knew the way well, and had this enormous advantage over
his young English leader, that he could see on such a night so well that
they never once found themselves in a part where the difficulties of the
track baulked their further progress. Since the day on which the
expedition had first arrived, Dick had often taken the short cut to the
forest which the agent had then used, and he knew how steep