ntimidating our assailants, it had only
increased their courage; and now, forsaking their fallen comrades, they
returned to the attack with redoubled rage and with evident
determination to close with us without more ado.

We saw that the crisis had come; I had seized one of the largest of the
firebrands, and my companion held the musket clubbed and ready to deal
blows around him. But what would these have availed against such
numbers? we should soon be overpowered, and dragged down--never more to
regain our feet--but to be torn to fragments by those terrible teeth,
gnashing and threatening all around us.

And this would most certainly have been our fate, had not that moment
offered a means of escape from our perilous position.

A means did offer itself, and it was odd we had not thought of it
before.

Just as we were at the height of despair--expecting every moment to be
our last--our eyes chanced to turn on the dark doorway that opened into
the side of the tree--the entrance to the chamber of the dead. It was
still open--for we had not returned the bark slab to its place, and it
was lying where we had thrown it on the ground outside. Both of us
noticed the doorway at the same instant, and simultaneously recognised
in it a means of escape--for both shouted as with one voice and rushed
towards it together.

Narrow as was the entrance we passed quickly through. A rabbit could
scarce have glided more rapidly into its burrow; and, before any of the
pursuing mandrills could lay a tooth upon our skirts, we had got inside,
and were once more in the company of the skeletons.

CHAPTER THIRTY.

Do not suppose that we considered ourselves safe. We were simply safe
for the moment--as our disappearance into the hollow of the tree, being
sudden and unexpected, had taken the mandrills by surprise, and they had
not followed us inside. Nevertheless they had rushed after--the whole
troop of them at our heels--and from their demonstrations, it was
evident they would not delay long before jumping through the doorway,
and assailing us within the chamber. They were already close to the
entrance, and with loud gibbering menaced us from the outside. Another
moment, and we might expect them to charge in upon us.

The entrance was yet open--the slab lay outside, and we dared not go
back for it--we had nothing to use for a door--nothing by which we could
shut the brutes out; and all we could think of was to stand by the
entr