aw the shine of the torches become brighter and brighter,
he poised his heavy blade and prepared to launch a swinging blow.
Nearer, nearer came the light and the chattering voices, for they
talked as they came. Then a gleaming spear-head flashed round the bend
below. It was held by the leading Kachin, and the second man carried a
torch to light his comrade's way.

Jack drew aside to the wall, and waited for the man's head to appear.
In an instant it came, and the dark face and glittering eyes of the
mountaineer were filled with excitement as he saw the white men within
arm's length. He shortened his grasp of the spear to strike at Jack,
but the broad, gleaming _dah_ fell at that very instant with
tremendous force.

The Kachin whirled up the spear to guard his head, but the trenchant
blade, wielded by those powerful young arms, was not to be denied. It
shore clean through the stout shaft of the spear, it fell upon the
shoulder of the Kachin, and clove him to the spine. He pitched
backwards among those following, and the torch was dashed from its
bearer's hand. But it was caught as it fell, and another of the
dauntless little men sprang up to cross swords with the defender who
could strike so dreadful a blow.

Again Jack launched a sweeping cut at his assailant, but this time his
blade was caught upon a blade of equal strength and temper, and the
iron muscles of the wiry Kachin turned the slashing stroke. He fetched
a swift return blow at Jack, and the latter avoided this by springing
a pace backwards as he recovered his own weapon.

The little man followed with the leap of a cat, and gave a grunt of
satisfaction. This was his aim, to make ground, and Jack saw it in an
instant. It allowed another man to come round the turn and support the
assault with a long spear. The second Kachin was crouching low, and at
the next moment the shining head of a spear darted past the first
assailant and was directed at Jack's thigh. Jack avoided it by a
miracle. He did not see it, did not know the man had struck at him,
for he was too busy cutting and parrying with the leader. But as the
spear-head was darted at him, he sprang aside to avoid the _dah_, and
so dodged both sword and spear.

The Kachin with the spear had made his stroke so heartily, and with
such certainty of reaching his mark, that on missing his blow he
sprawled forward. Mr. Haydon bent down, gripped the strong shaft
behind the spear-head, and tore the weapon from th