om
them during the day, but they would be very likely to rush us by night;
so the sooner we got away from their neighborhood the better. On three
sides of us was absolute forest, and there we might find ourselves in
an ambush. But on the fourth side--that which sloped down in the
direction of the lake--there was only low scrub, with scattered trees
and occasional open glades. It was, in fact, the route which I had
myself taken in my solitary journey, and it led us straight for the
Indian caves. This then must for every reason be our road.

One great regret we had, and that was to leave our old camp behind us,
not only for the sake of the stores which remained there, but even more
because we were losing touch with Zambo, our link with the outside
world. However, we had a fair supply of cartridges and all our guns,
so, for a time at least, we could look after ourselves, and we hoped
soon to have a chance of returning and restoring our communications
with our negro. He had faithfully promised to stay where he was, and
we had not a doubt that he would be as good as his word.

It was in the early afternoon that we started upon our journey. The
young chief walked at our head as our guide, but refused indignantly to
carry any burden. Behind him came the two surviving Indians with our
scanty possessions upon their backs. We four white men walked in the
rear with rifles loaded and ready. As we started there broke from the
thick silent woods behind us a sudden great ululation of the ape-men,
which may have been a cheer of triumph at our departure or a jeer of
contempt at our flight. Looking back we saw only the dense screen of
trees, but that long-drawn yell told us how many of our enemies lurked
among them. We saw no sign of pursuit, however, and soon we had got
into more open country and beyond their power.

As I tramped along, the rearmost of the four, I could not help smiling
at the appearance of my three companions in front. Was this the
luxurious Lord John Roxton who had sat that evening in the Albany
amidst his Persian rugs and his pictures in the pink radiance of the
tinted lights? And was this the imposing Professor who had swelled
behind the great desk in his massive study at Enmore Park? And,
finally, could this be the austere and prim figure which had risen
before the meeting at the Zoological Institute? No three tramps that
one could have met in a Surrey lane could have looked more hopeless and
bed