not reach the corner for a few seconds, he hoped. Like a
man shot, Jim flung himself prone on the ground, and commenced to crawl
toward a large boulder which he had just caught sight of, and in less
than half a minute he was ensconced behind a rock which was just big
enough to afford concealment to one man, if that man had the sense to
remain perfectly motionless. Then, stretching himself flat upon the
ground, Jim cautiously peered round the edge of the boulder, in order to
keep an eye upon the escaping prisoner, for a plan had come into his
head which he thought might possibly be successful, and which was
certainly the only one which offered any hope of his being able finally
to get clear away.

Douglas had suddenly remembered that he was wearing a Peruvian soldier's
uniform; and his idea was to allow the fugitive to pass him and then
join in the chase, trusting to luck that the pursuers would mistake him
for one of themselves. He would, of course, take care not to overtake
the Chilian,--let the poor man get away if he could, by all means,--but
he thought that if he could himself lead the pursuit, so to speak, he
might be able gradually to out-distance the rest of the soldiers, and
thus finally get clear away by allowing the Peruvians to imagine that he
was still keeping up the pursuit. Should the man be caught, however,
Jim trusted to being able to slip away unseen amid the excitement,
especially if the capture should happen to take place anywhere near that
strip of forest country a mile or so ahead.

A very few seconds sufficed to show Jim that he had not been seen by the
Chilian, and that the latter did not intend to avail himself of such an
insecure hiding-place as the rock afforded, for he went dashing past at
full speed, leaving Jim about a hundred yards to the left.

Just as the man fled by, his heavy gasps for breath sounding
marvellously loud in the still air, the first of his pursuers put in an
appearance round the corner of the hill, a quarter of a mile away,
carrying his carbine at the trail; and he was immediately followed by
about a score more soldiers, who began to shout themselves hoarse as
they came in sight of their quarry. Then several of the Peruvians
pulled up, and, dropping on their knees, levelled their carbines and
began to blaze away at the running man. Douglas prayed that the unhappy
creature might not be hit, for if he were, it would bring the pursuit to
an end in the precise spot whe