ned and fled
for their lives, leaving the valley free to a single black figure, which
came climbing down from far up the steep slope, waddy in hand; and on
reaching the level advanced towards us in the fast darkening eve,
looking coolly to right and left to see if any enemy was left, but
without a single arrow being discharged.

A minute later he was looking over our breastwork into the shallow cave,
showing his teeth, which shone in the gloom as he exclaimed:

"Black fellow dreffle hungry. Give Jimmy somefin eat. All gone now."

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

HOW WE RETREATED AND WERE CAUGHT IN A TROPIC STORM.

Our black companion was quite right. The enemy had indeed gone, and the
time had come for us to get beyond their reach, for all at once it
seemed to grow dark, and we stood farther out of our shelter, glad to
free our limbs from the cramping positions in which they had been for so
long.

The doctor handed to each of us some chips of dried meat, bidding us eat
as we walked. The bearers were well provided, and starting at once,
with Ti-hi to lead and Aroo to cover our retreat, we stepped lightly
off.

Our blacks knew well enough what was required of them now as to our
baggage, and every package was taken from the breastwork, shouldered or
placed upon the head, and, watchful and ready to use our arms, we soon
left the scene of the fight behind.

The New Guinea savage Ti-hi as we called him, that being the nearest
approach I can get to his name, followed very much the course we had
taken early in the day when we sought the waterfall, but left it a
little to our left and struck the river some few hundred yards above,
pausing for a few minutes for his men to take breath, and then pointing
out the course he meant to take.

It was a perilous-looking place, enough to make anyone shiver, and there
was a murmur amongst the blacks as they looked down at what seemed to be
a mere shelf or ledge of rock low down near the black hurrying water of
the river, which seemed to be covered with flowing specks of gold as the
brilliant stars were reflected from the smooth rushing stream.

Where we were to descend the water seemed to be about thirty feet below,
but the rocky side of the river bed ran sheer up quite fifty feet as far
as we could make out in the darkness, and I did not wonder at the murmur
we heard.

But Ti-hi's voice rose directly, now pleading softly in his own tongue,
now in tones of command, and the murmur