Jim then put on another spurt, and passed a second soldier, then
another, and still another, without attracting any particular attention
to himself; and a few minutes later he found that he was leading the
entire party of pursuers. So far so good; his back was now presented to
them all, and they had therefore no opportunity to recognise his
features; yet while he ran he had a very unpleasant feeling that he
might expect a bullet to strike him between his shoulder-blades at any
moment. But the bullet did not come; and he could tell, by the
diminishing sounds of trampling feet that he was still steadily drawing
ahead of the rest of the soldiers. At this moment the Chilian plunged
into the thick brushwood, and was, in a few seconds, lost to sight,
while a yell of angry disappointment and execration went up from the
pursuing soldiery.

"Now," muttered Douglas to himself, "if that fellow only knows what he
is about, and keeps cool, he should be able to make his escape without
much difficulty." And he too plunged forward at top speed, in order
that he also might get into the wood well in advance of the soldiers;
for his own chance of escape depended upon his being able to give his
"comrades" the slip. A few seconds more, and Jim saw a small opening
among the brushwood disclosing an Indian "bush-path"; it was along this
that the Chilian had gone, and Douglas now himself dashed into the wood,
tearing his hands, face, and clothes on the sharp thorns with which the
path was bordered.

Once inside the wood he was out of sight of the Peruvians; and hope lent
wings to his feet. He fairly flew along the narrow pathway until he
felt he must soon catch up the Chilian, if the fellow were still ahead;
but, even when Jim came to a comparatively long length of straight path,
he was unable to see any one, and he soon came to the conclusion that
the man had, very wisely, slipped away into the thick undergrowth to
wait until the pursuit had gone past and darkness should come on.
Douglas resolved that he would do likewise, and increased his pace still
more, so that he might be out of sight before the soldiers should enter
the straight length of path, where, of course, they would be able to see
some distance ahead. The Englishman was lucky in finding an opening in
the thick wall of brushwood, and he plunged into the brake just a second
before the pursuing soldiery came in sight, making a tremendous noise as
he broke a way for himself,