ite side of the
road, being too good a soldier to neglect this opportunity.

"Forward!" shouted the Russeldah. "Follow me! I will soon unkennel the
foe. May the grave of his fathers be accursed, and his bones be burned,"
and, after uttering this anathema, he drove the rowels of his spurs into
his horse's flanks, springing him, at least, two lengths in advance of
his followers, and making a dash for the bush from whence the smoke of
the rifle was seen to issue. But ere the scoundrel reached it, a bullet
from Arthur's rifle went crashing through his brain. A second brought
another to the earth with a broken thigh bone. The others reined up in
time to avoid the accident they had before experienced. On finding their
leader to be quite dead, and only five of their number fit to carry on
the contest, they consulted together as to the expediency of any further
pursuit; besides, they could not understand being attacked from both
sides of the road. They had seen no one cross, and never dreamed of the
passage under the bridge, and imagined there must be others concealed in
the jungle. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Arthur returned the
way he came as quickly as possible, and, mounting his horse, regained
his beloved Edith, who had witnessed the whole affair. She was about to
thank, with ardent words of gratitude, her gallant lover, when he
silenced her with a motion of his hand, and whispered to her to follow
him. They proceeded slowly for a time, carefully avoiding the
overhanging branches, lest they should attract the attention of either
of the troopers, who were still halted on the high road at no great
distance, and as Carlton afterwards affirmed, a chance shot from one of
their carbines might have proved fatal to one or perhaps both of them.
After riding some distance they had the satisfaction, on looking back,
of seeing that their cowardly pursuers were returning the way they came,
carrying their dead and wounded with them. But still they had a very
long ride before them, under a scorching sun, before they could consider
themselves safe from further pursuit; and the deep shadows of the dark
jungle had closed around them as they pushed their way along the dusty
road. And it was not until the moon had risen in all her splendour, high
above their heads, that Edith, worn out with the excitement and fatigue
of the day's journey, attended by a gallant cavalier, reached Rutlaum.

Fortunately, they experienced no difficulty i