echoing roar and rush of water.

Here Mr Raydon took the lead, the man who had been in advance letting
us both pass him, and then following behind, me.

"I have been up this stream to this point before," said Mr Raydon to
me. "You never thought to see such places as this, Gordon," he
continued, "when you left London."

"No," I said eagerly, for it was pleasant to hear him make some advances
towards me; but he said no more, relapsing into complete silence as he
strode on or leaped from rock to rock, till by degrees, and repeating
our morning's experience in the reverse way, we began to find the narrow
gorge widen and grow less dark; then we came to places where the
sunshine gleamed down, and there were ferns; then lower down to more
light, and where bushes were plentiful, but still with the valley so
narrow that we had to keep in single file.

At last, the perpendicular walls were further back, the valley grew
V-shaped, and patches of dwarf forest grew visible high up. Bigger
trees appeared, and soon after the place became park-like, and a man
stepped out to right and left, so that in front we were three abreast;
and half an hour later we were amongst the thickly-growing pines--a line
of eight men abreast with Mr Raydon in the middle, and I and the other
behind.

"Halt!" said Mr Raydon, in a whisper. "Join up."

The men from right and left drew in, and he said in quite a whisper--

"The forest grows more and more dense here for miles away to the river.
I propose now going on for another half-hour, to where there is a sudden
narrowing in of the valley to about thirty yards. If we do not meet the
enemy before this, I shall halt there, and keep that pass, waiting till
they are driven up to us. But we may have them upon us at any moment
now."

"They could not have got by us, sir?" I ventured to say.

Mr Raydon looked at me, and smiled.

"Impossible, my lad. Ready? Forward!"

Our advance now was slow, as we had to pass in and out among the
thickly-growing trees, and to be careful to keep in line as nearly as
was possible. Every man was eager and excited, and from time to time,
as I looked to right and left, I kept catching sight of one of our party
pressing forward with rifle ready, and waiting to fire at the first
sight of the enemy, this shot being the appointed signal for all to halt
and stand fast, waiting for further orders.

At last, after what in my excited state seemed to be hours, but which
a