hey come from some twenty feet up," said Briscoe thoughtfully.

"You're right, sir," said his servant. "Look at that," and he drew his
master's attention to a shaft which just at that moment rose from out of
the densest part of the tree, described an arch, and fell upon the deck.

"I can't see him," cried Lynton, who was crouching in the shelter of the
bulwark; "but I fancy I can make out where he is."

"Try," said the mate, and the next minute Lynton fired, his bullet
cutting the leaves of the pyramid of verdure, and the report startling a
flock of bright green birds, which flew screaming across to the opposite
bank of the river.

"A miss," said the mate. "Now you try, sir. It's random work though."

Brace felt a shrinking sensation, but he knew that the time had come for
action, and rested his rifle upon the bulwark and sent the bullet
hurtling through the densest part of the tree.

"Bravo! Well done!" cried Briscoe.

"What is it?" said Brace eagerly. "I couldn't see for the smoke."

"I could," said the mate. "There was somebody there, and, hit or no,
your shot startled him, for I saw something go crashing down through the
boughs. I believe you've finished him, and we shall have no more arrows
from there."

"Think there was only one of them then?" said Lynton.

"Oh, no, my lad; there's no knowing how many there are of the beauties,
but I fancy there's one the less."

The mate had hardly spoken before another arrow stuck in the deck, its
inclination showing that it had come from an entirely fresh direction.
But it had hardly touched the deck with a dull rap before the American's
rifle uttered its sharp crack, and the bullet sent the leaves of a tree
some distance farther to the left pattering down.

"That looks as though there were some more of them about," said the mate
gruffly, and he knelt in shelter, keenly watching for his opportunity of
delivering a shot.

Just then the captain came on deck, and Brace hurried to meet him. He
did not speak, but looked at the captain with questioning eyes.

"Sound asleep, squire," said Captain Banes, in answer to Brace's mute
enquiry. "Well, how many have you brought down?" Then, without waiting
for an answer, he continued: "I don't suppose there are above half a
dozen of them. Just a hunting party in a canoe. Look here, Dellow, we
shall have to try to scare them away before they do any more mischief."

"Well, we are scaring them," said the mate gruffly.