passage so plainly that we should hear another in the same way. But
don't talk, my lad. Look to your footsteps and mind that we have no
accident. Stop!" he exclaimed, then, "Halt!"

I did not know why he called a halt just then in that narrow dangerous
place, but it seemed that he heard a peculiar sound from behind, and
directly after Aroo closed up, to say that the enemy were following us,
for he had heard them talking as they came, the smooth walls of the
rocks acting as a great speaking-tube and bearing the sounds along.

"That's bad news, my lad," said the doctor, "but matters might be worse.
This is a dangerous place, but it is likely to be far more dangerous
for an attacking party than for the defenders. Our guns could keep any
number of enemies at a distance, I should say. Better that they should
attack us here than out in the open, where we should be easy marks for
their arrows."

"I do wish they'd leave us alone," said Jack Penny in an ill-used tone.
"Nobody said anything to them; why can't they leave off?"

"We'll argue out that point another time, Jack Penny," said the doctor.
"Only let's get on now."

"Oh, all right! I'm ready," he said, and once more our little party set
forward, the doctor and I now taking the extreme rear, with the
exception that we let Aroo act as a scout behind, to give warning of the
enemy's near approach.

And so we went on in the comparative darkness, the only sounds heard
being the hissing of the swiftly rushing water as it swept on towards
the fall, and the dull deep roar that came booming now loudly, now
faintly, from where the river made its plunge.

Twice over we made a halt and stood with levelled pieces ready to meet
an attack, but they only proved to be false alarms, caused by our
friends dislodging stones in the path, which fell with a hollow sullen
plunge into the rushing water, producing a strange succession of sounds,
as of footsteps beating the path behind us, so curiously were these
repeated from the smooth face of the rock.

_Hiss-hiss_, _rush-rush_ went the water, and when we paused again and
again, so utterly solemn and distinct were the sounds made by the
waterfall and the river that I fancied that our friend Aroo must have
been deceived.

"If the savages were pursuing us," I said, "we should have heard them by
now."

"Don't be too satisfied, my dear boy," said the doctor. "These people
have a great deal of the animal in them, and when they have m