forward. Instead, he
stood gazing curiously about, and then Jack understood. He and his
companions had left no track on the smooth hard rocks which paved the
bottom of the ravine, and their enemies were not certain in which cave
they lay; each cave was being searched in turn.

"Oh," thought Jack, "what would I not give for my handy little
Mannlicher, and a good pocketful of cartridges. I could hold an army
at bay in this narrow tunnel. But they stripped me of every weapon,
even to my knife."

At this instant there flashed across his mind the thought of the _dah_
carried by the younger Panthay. He turned and found the man at his
shoulder. Jack seized the thong by which the man bore the weapon, and
lifted it over the Panthay's head. The native made no resistance, but
gave up the sword at once.

Jack drew the weapon from its sheath and looked at it carefully in the
dim light. He saw at once by the bright gleam that it was in excellent
order, and well polished. He tried the edge with his thumb; it was as
keen as a razor. He stepped back two or three paces to give himself
room to swing the blade, and flourished it about his head in order to
find out its swing and play. These, too, were perfect. So well
balanced were the huge, broad blade and heavy handle, that the great
sword swung easily about Jack's head in his powerful young hands.

"By George!" thought he, "I'll make it warm for these rogues before
I've done with them. If I can't give it 'em hot in this narrow tunnel
with this good bit of steel, I'm a Dutchman."

He stepped forward and peered once more down the tunnel. He started.
Saya Chone was climbing up, and after him came three or four figures
in blue kilts. Jack had seen such before, and knew them for tough,
wiry, hard-bitten little Kachins, small men, but immensely muscular
and powerful. Behind him he heard a sound as of a withered leaf
blowing along the floor. He turned his head and saw the two Panthays
fleeing to the uttermost part of the cave. They trembled before these
terrible enemies.

At this moment the Panthay tracker climbed into the cave. He spoke for
a few moments to Saya Chone, pointing to the tunnel where Jack stood,
but where in the darkness no one could see him. Saya Chone nodded, and
the whole party moved forward until they were within a couple of yards
of the mouth of the tunnel. Now Saya Chone began to speak.

"Haydon," he called in a loud voice. "Come out at once. The game is
up. We kno