k Risley. "I don't hold with
backin' down on a pardner, and I'm goin' along to see what's happened
to the Professor and Jack just as far as I can crawl."

"And I'm with you, old man," said Jim quietly. "I owe Jack my life,
too. One good turn deserves another."

"And me, sahibs, and me," said Me Dain quickly. "The young sahib save
my life also when the dacoit thought to chop off my head. I go with
you everywhere to help the two sahibs."

"Bully for you, Me Dain, you're a good sort," cried Buck, and he
thrust his hand out to the Burman. Me Dain, highly delighted to
receive the white man's sign of friendship, shook hands very solemnly
with both Buck and Jim, and they formed at once a confraternity of
three to hunt up U Saw's quarters, and see where he held the
prisoners, whom they now firmly believed to be in his grasp.

CHAPTER XXVII.

THE FIGHT IN THE TUNNEL.

We must now return to Jack, whom we left crouching at the end of the
tunnel which led to the outer cave, and awaiting the onslaught of
three powerful Kachins.

As the natives drew step by step along the tunnel towards Jack, he
balanced the great broadsword he held by both hands, and poised it
ready to strike at the foremost. Though he was greatly out-numbered,
yet he held one advantage. The forms of his enemies were clear against
the sunlight which poured into the mouth of the outer cave. He could
see every movement they made, but they could not see him. The inner
cave was very dimly lighted, and, coming from the bright light
without, his enemies could not mark that Jack was waiting for them.

A second advantage he enjoyed was that they did not know that he was
armed. They knew that they had stripped him of every weapon when he
was first seized, and now they did not dream that he had secured a
_dah_ for himself, and was thoroughly resolved to make the deadliest
use of it before he would submit to capture.

On crept the Kachins in the boldest fashion, urged forward not merely
by their native bravery, but convinced that they had before them the
simplest of tasks, the seizing of an unarmed lad who would surrender
at sight of their weapons.

At the next moment they were terribly undeceived. Fetching a sweeping
blow, Jack cut down the leading Kachin with a terrific stroke. The
edge of the keen, heavy blade fell at the point where neck and
shoulder meet, and the doomed man was nearly cut in two. He dropped
with a single groan, and the two men behind