; and though full of dangers, we were ready enough to dare those
sooner than the peril of meeting the fierce party of Indians who sought
our lives.

We pushed forward now, heedless of shout and cry, though some of them
appeared to come from close by on our left. There was the forest which
was to prove a sanctuary, and at last the cocoa-trees were behind, and
we were parting the dense growth that now hid from us the glow of the
burning house.

"There is a track more to the right, Harry," whispered my uncle.

Turning in that direction, I hurried the mule, burning as I did to get
on to the direct route to the cavern. I had whispered a few encouraging
words to Lilla, and was then thinking how my locking the kitchen door
had retarded the enemy and given us time to escape, when I felt that,
worn out and overcome by the excitement and terrors of the night, my
companion had given way and was sinking, fainting, from the saddle.

By an effort, though, I kept her in her place, and whispered to my uncle
to take the lead, so that our mule might follow.

He did so; and then, with the cries of the searching Indians still
ringing in our ears, we pushed on till, under my uncle's guidance, we
reached the open track, and I whispered to him the direction we had
followed to reach the cave.

"I think if we pursue this path for about a mile, Harry, we can then
turn off to the right and reach your track--that is, if we do not lose
our way."

So spoke my uncle; and then, all burdened as I was, I levelled my gun
and uttered a warning cry to my companions; for there was a rustling on
our left, a heavy panting, and then with a loud and triumphant yell a
couple of savages sprang out into the dim twilight of the open space
where we were standing.

"Let them have us all dead, not living, Hal," said my uncle, his sad
tones giving place to those of fierce excitement.

And he, too, levelled his piece just as, with a fresh burst of yells,
the savages dashed on.

Two loud, echoing reports--two dimly-seen, shadowy figures falling back
into the underwood--and then we were hurrying along the track as fast as
we could urge the mules.

"There is another path farther on, Harry," said my uncle; "we must reach
that."

Onward, then, we went through the gloomy shades, black now as night
could make them, not even daring to pause to try whether we could detect
the sounds of pursuit. That the reports of our guns would bring the
Indians to that spot