to return and
preventing them from surprising us.

"Don't go too far or stay too long," cautioned the captain, as I set out.
"We ought to keep close together, Mr. Trenholm, and fight together."

Assuring him that I had no intention of leaving him with Rajah, I went up
the trail a few rods, and as I was about to turn back I saw a level
stretch ahead, where the trail of the pirates led away from the bed
of the stream into a patch of high, thick grass. Thirkle and his men had
cut a narrow lane through this grass by trampling down the stalks, and my
curiosity got the better of my caution, and I decided to explore a little
farther.

Stooping low, I ran through this open space and gained the jungle on the
other side and found myself near a ledge or low, rocky cliff that was so
overgrown with rank weeds and vines and giant ferns it was hardly
noticeable until I was close against the wall.

The cliffside was damp and green with mosses, and the ground was moist
and springy. The cool of the place was grateful after the heat of
our climb up the rocky bed of the creek, I was about to return and urge
Captain Riggs to press on to this place when I heard the subdued murmur
of voices away to the right and the swishing of foliage.

I was puzzled and alarmed to discover that the voices were in the
direction I had come from, or back across the trail. Fearing that the
pirates were returning to the boats by some short route which might take
them to where Riggs was hidden, I ran through the grass lane again, and,
finding that the persons I was stalking were still farther away, I left
the trail and sneaked some twenty yards into the foliage, anxious to see
who they were and what they were about.

They were making slow progress, seemingly going a few yards, and then
stopping to talk in low tones, when they would go on again, and, by
moving ahead while they were pushing through the brush and proceeding
with caution while they stopped, I rapidly overtook them, although they
were a good distance off the trail.

"Keep over to port," I heard Long Jim say. "Mind them brambles, or ye'll
have the eyes of me bloomin' well knocked out! I'm all skinned about
the neck from 'eavin' away at these poles. Drop it a bit, Red."

CHAPTER XV

TWO THIEVES AND A FIGHT

There was a metallic thud as they let down a burden, which I knew must be
a sack of gold. I lay quiet for a minute, and then began to wriggle
through the brush to get a glimpse o