ing themselves in their position as the heavy vehicle dashed on
along the shallow bed, which was now wonderfully free of stones, while
the driver participating in the dog's excitement, uttered a low cry and
shook his reins, so that a minute later the chariot swung round the
angle into where the ravine suddenly came to an end and a low level
valley opened out. Right at the edge of the stream, and not far in
front, a cluster of rough camp shelters seemed to spring up before them,
and from out of the huts where they had been sheltering from the sun, a
body of about two score spear-armed men suddenly appeared.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

A NARROW ESCAPE.

To have the horses turned, and gallop back along the narrow river bed
for their lives, was Marcus' first thought. His second, braver and
better, was to shout to the driver at his elbow to urge the horses on at
their greatest speed.

The man hardly needed telling, for as the first words of command were
buzzing in his ear he was shaking the reins and calling upon the brave
little beasts to exert themselves to the utmost.

"Forward, my beauties," he yelled, "or the barbarians will have you, and
before to-morrow you will be roasted and eaten. Gallop--gallop away!"

There was no time for Serge to talk, but he acted, and acted well.
Picking up instantly two of the spears which hung at the chariot side in
loops, he thrust one into Marcus' hand, retained the other, and stood
ready to thrust. Marcus followed his example. Neither thought of using
their shields, but stood fierce and staring of aspect, watching the
party of men barring their way and shouting to them to stop.

It seemed like the next moment that the enemy, who fully expected the
strangers in the chariot to surrender, found that to give up was the
last thought in their expected prisoners' breasts, and thereupon some
dropped their spears, others were in the act of turning to fly, when
with a dull, strange sound the chariot horses were upon them. Literally
upon them, for the gallant little beasts obeyed their natural instinct,
as they galloped and rose to leap the pale of human obstacles and spears
in front, but only to come down quite short, trampling and spurning down
the enemy, over whom the chariot rolled, bumping, leaping and splashing,
and directly after, untouched by the long spears held by the uninjured,
the driver turned the horses slightly, and their next bounds were upon
dry land, rough and rugged e