"Yes," said Jack, "he was going to lop Me Dain's head off with this
sword."

Jim picked the blade up and looked at it carefully.

"A Kachin _dah_ (native sword)," he said. "Did you see any more of
them about, Jack?"

"Yes, there were four; three of them have cut into the jungle."

"Come on, sahibs," cried Me Dain, who was very little disturbed by his
queer experience, "this dangerous place to stop. Perhaps they come
back with _jingals_ (native guns)."

"What do you make of it, Me Dain?" said Buck.

"Dacoits, sahib, dacoits; let us hurry. That man is dead," pointing to
his would-be executioner, "but plenty more in the forest." He seized
the _dah_ as a weapon for himself, and all four hurried after the
ponies, who had come to a stand fifty yards farther along the narrow
way.

"Queer business, dacoits so near a village," muttered Jim. "Let's see
what the headman has got to say about it."

CHAPTER XI.

BELEAGUERED.

But they found no headman to tell them anything. The forest clearing,
where the village had stood, was a scene of destruction. Their eyes
fell upon ruined houses and burned huts, with here and there a figure
lying about. They paused beside the first which lay in their way. It
was the body of a big, heavy man, a Chetti, as they saw at once by his
build, scored with the most terrible slashes.

"That's the work of a _dah_," said Buck. "This village has been raided
by dacoits, and, by thunder, they're not far off."

Everyone looked round uneasily. The forest lay calm and silent in the
evening sunshine all about the clearing, and no sign of a blue-clothed
figure was to be seen on its edge, yet all felt that the dacoits were
near, and that great danger hung over them. Jack had heard many times
of the Kachin dacoits, the terrible mountain banditti who descend at
times from their hills to plunder and slay, and now he was face to
face with them.

"See how it was," said Jim. "This village was raided at daybreak this
morning. Not a body has been torn by a wild animal, and the beasts
would have been busy enough to-night. Then some of 'em were left
lurking about, and they spied Me Dain coming, didn't see us behind,
and thought he was coming to the village alone. Of course they slipped
out of the bushes and nabbed him, thinking to whiff off his head and
turn the ponies' packs out at their own leisure. But Jack upset their
little plan, and Me Dain's head stops in the right spot."

"Many thanks, _pha