ew to make them the home sites which were to be the
next lines to be developed.

It will thus be seen that there was enough to tax the energies of
Blakely and the Professor, to keep the laborers employed, and prevent
any drones from getting into the hive.

When the captive Illyas which John had sent with the ultimatum did not
return, nor did the enemy show any symptoms of complying when the sun
neared midday, it was concluded that the only plan to pursue would be a
quick and a sharp assault.

The moment the sun reached its height, John ordered Muro to take one
hundred of the men by a detour to the right, and Uraso with a like
number to the left.

"Cross the stream and close up behind them in the woods. I will make the
attack, and you remain at a distance. If they should attempt to retreat
I will follow them up rapidly. We must, if possible, force their
surrender."

The two forces were off promptly, and within a half hour John judged
that they must be in position. The Illyas were still on the hill in
force, apparently not suspecting that two flanking columns were in their
rear.

As John gave the order to march forward there was the crack of a half
dozen guns to their right, in the position occupied by Muro's force.
This startled the Illyas, as it did John. The latter interpreted this at
once. It was, undoubtedly, a reinforcing band which Muro had
intercepted.

This was indeed the case. The knowledge of this force coming to their
assistance, was probably the reason why the Illyas were so defiant.
Muro, at the head of fifty of his men, charged the band, to prevent them
from uniting, but at the same time it brought down on him a large
portion of the Illyas. Uraso, suspecting the truth, and knowing that the
excited movement of the Illyas indicated a rush to assist, broke through
the woods and thus struck them on their left flank, which so surprised
them that they broke in confusion and, fled before John and the main
body could come up.

The entire Illyas force was now in confusion. John was in possession of
their camp, and Uraso's warriors were hurrying through the dense woods,
so that between the three forces, a number were captured in the effort
to escape to the east and south.

Within an hour, not an Illyas was in sight, except those captured, but
the main force, unfortunately, escaped. The wagons were brought up, and
now came the problem, how to get them through the forest, without making
too much of a detou