to keep going
forward.

Then three men ran at him with grass cords and seized him, but he drove
his head fiercely into one and sent him flying, kicked the second, and
then attacked the other with his fists, regular English fashion, and I
knew now who it was, without hearing the shout the new prisoner uttered
and the language he applied to his captors.

Another pair approached, but he drove them back at once, and probably
feeling' pretty well satisfied that his enemies did not want to spear
him, he stuck his doubled fists in his sides and went slowly round the
great circle that had collected, strutting insultingly, as if daring
them to come on, and ending by striding into the middle of the circle
and squatting down, as if treating his foes with the most profound
contempt.

"Poor old Jimmy!" I exclaimed, proud even to admiration of the black's
gallant bearing. "Who would call him a coward now!"

For a time Jimmy was untouched, and sat upon his heels with his wrists
upon his knees and his hands dangling down, but evidently watchfully on
the look-out for an attack. I felt so excited as I sat there that I
forgot my own pain, and had I been able to move I should have made a
dash and run to my old companion's side; but I was perfectly helpless,
and could only look on, feeling sure that sooner or later the blacks
would attack Jimmy, and if he resisted I shuddered for his fate.

Sure enough, at the end of a consultation I saw a rush made at the
waiting prisoner, who started up and fought bravely; but he seemed to
disappear at once, the little crowd heaving and swaying here and there,
and ending by seeming to group itself under a tall tree, from which they
at last fell away, and then it was that my heart began to beat less
painfully and I breathed more freely, for there was Jimmy bound to the
tree trunk, grinning and chattering at his captors, and evidently as
full of fight as ever.

I sank down upon my elbow with a sigh of relief, for I felt that had
they meant to kill my black companion they would have done it at once
instead of taking the trouble to bind him to the tree.

And now, oddly enough, while I could hear Jimmy calling his captors by
all the absurd and ugly names he could invent, the pain and aching
seemed to come back into my wrists and ankles, making me groan as I sat
and clasped them, a little use having begun to creep back into my arms.

As I rubbed my aching limbs I still had an eye on Jimmy, interest