nded
chief, who was bound in the wagon.

The savages did not go far beyond the village, and this was observed by
the Professor, and was the moving cause of his sharp order when the boys
were brought out. While Harry and John were engaged in turning the team
around, George hurriedly set food before the famished boys, and they
were cautioned against taking too much. They were really almost starved,
and their appearance plainly showed the treatment they had received.

The Professor called out: "They are coming; have all the guns ready."
Before they had fully taken all of the food the boys begged to be
allowed to assist in the defense, and George was thoughtful enough to
recognize the fact that the guns they had were not like the
breech-loaders, and without wasting time told the boys how they were
manipulated.

"Where did you get these funny-looking guns?" asked one of the boys.

"We made them," was the reply, and the boys looked at each other and
gasped in surprise.

Beyond, the savages were gathering, and moving forwardly, evidently with
a view of attacking. The Professor turned to the boys and asked them
whether the natives had guns, and they answered that when they were
captured they saw a half dozen old weapons, but had never used them, as,
apparently, there was no ammunition. Where the savages obtained them
was a mystery. They believed the weapons were used as charms, to aid
them against their enemies, and that belief gained ground from the fact
that thus far the tribes, in whose territory they now were, had been
victorious in every battle that had been fought for the past year.

This was indeed interesting news, and probably the actions of the
wounded chief, in appearing to discourage the trip to the north, had
some relation to this belief.

The gathering warriors could be seen plainly, coming over the hill,
beyond the village, and gathered in a mass near the hut from which the
boys had been taken. A conference was in progress, which did not appear
to be harmonious, but eventually the party moved forward and divided
into three sections, with the view of enveloping the position of the
Professor and his party.

"They will attempt to surround us, and we shall now have to attack them
by assaulting one party at a time. As suggested in our previous
encounters, the five guns must always be kept as a reserve for the last
emergency. Fire and then reload, and we should attack one of the parties
at a time, so the grea