hat they were playing a game, and
that since the balance of advantage was enormously on their own side
they were morally bound to play it fairly. And within certain limits
they did, although there were not wanting those whose ferocious passions
were so deeply stirred that all they seemed to crave was the life of the
white men, and they were willing to go to all lengths to get it. Thus
one man aimed so savage a blow at Dick that he smashed his bludgeon to
splinters upon that of Chichester as the latter guarded the blow. Then,
doubtless enraged at his failure, he sprang out of his place in the
ranks and, catching Dick unawares, stabbed at him with the splintered
fragment of the weapon that remained in his hand, inflicting quite a
painful jagged wound on the young Englishman's shoulder. But it was his
last act, for, stung into sudden fury by the smart of the wound, Dick
turned upon him and, throwing all his strength and weight into the blow,
struck out with his clenched left fist, catching the unfortunate Indian
square on the point of the chin. So terrific was the blow that it
actually lifted the man clean off his feet and sent him whirling back
through the air for a distance of nearly four yards before he fell to
the earth dead with a broken neck. A great shout of mingled amazement,
admiration, and terror arose at this wonderful exhibition of strength;
and thenceforward, influenced either by fear or the spirit of fair play,
or, it may be, a combination of both, there were no further attempts
made to take an unfair advantage of those two who were making so gallant
a fight to save themselves from a fate too hideous to be put into words.

At length the gauntlet was run, the far end of the lane was reached, and
the two young Englishmen still stood upon their feet. But not
unscathed; very far from it. They had made a gallant fight, and had
afforded their savage captors a far more exhilarating spectacle than
they had ever before witnessed, although it had been of a very different
character from what had been anticipated; and now the two prisoners
stood, trembling with exhaustion from their superhuman efforts, cruelly
bruised, bleeding, and altogether too dazed and helpless to make that
sudden, wild dash for freedom which each had planned in his heart when
entering upon the terrible ordeal through which they had just passed.
What was to be the next move in this grim game of life or death?

They were not long left in doub