would have stopped to render me
assistance, but time was valuable now, and moments as precious as years
would be under other circumstances: so I only urged her to press forward
as fast as she could without actually running.

On we sped, and again came another flight of arrows, one of which
pierced me in the fleshy part of the thigh, whilst two passed through
Ella's flowing skirts, but happily without doing the dear girl any
injury.

I suffered a few moments to elapse, and then suddenly faced about,
bringing my rifle to my shoulder as I did so; and there, in the centre
of the path between the trees which we had just quitted, knelt a savage
upon one knee, in the act of drawing his bow.

I was always very fond of shooting, and had acquired the reputation of
being a good snap-shot among the rabbits, and my skill now stood me in
good stead.

The kneeling figure was instantly covered; I pulled the trigger, and he
leapt convulsively to his feet, staggered forward, and fell upon his
face. I had no sooner fired than some twenty natives sprang from their
cover, and ran towards us. They seemed, I thought, to have seen fire-
arms before, for their advance was made with the confidence of those who
know that their enemy has just emptied his piece; but they were about to
make the acquaintance of a new and terrible weapon, of the properties of
which they were doubtless hitherto ignorant.

Levelling again, I fired at the foremost, and then quickly turned my
piece upon one close beside him. The reports rang out sharp and clear,
one close upon the other, and both the savages fell. Their companions
paused an instant in evident surprise; and that pause proved a serious,
if not fatal, matter to a fourth, whom I immediately afterwards brought
down.

This was too much for them. They saw that to stand exposed to view was
to court death, and with a yell of disappointed rage, they sprang back
into cover.

I instantly profited by this retrograde movement on the part of the
enemy to make a push for the beach, hoping that Bob would hear the
rifle-shots (especially the double report, which I had arranged with him
on a former occasion should be a signal of warning or a call for
assistance), and hasten to the rendezvous which was now clearly within
sight, or would be as soon as uncovered by an extensive screen of bush
which lay a couple of hundred yards on our right.

I also reloaded with all despatch the emptied chambers of my rifle, wi