it?"

"I dunno, sir. These here black chaps as is guiding us will show us
right enough."

"Hist! Hist!" whispered Murray. "Can't you understand? We're the
rear-guard of the column, Tom May and I, and the enemy is somewhere
close behind. Haven't you got your men with you, and some blacks?"

"We had," replied Roberts, "but somehow we've got separated from them,
or they've got separated from us; I don't know how it is. It's all
through my wound, I suppose. Here, Murray, old chap, you'd better put
us right again."

"Will you hold your stupid tongue, Dick?" whispered Murray excitedly.
"Here, both you and Titely follow me. Get behind them, Tom May, and
look sharp, or we shall be too late."

"Ay, ay, sir!" replied the big sailor; and Murray heard him throw his
musket from one shoulder to the other before seeming to loosen his
cutlass in the scabbard, which the lad could only interpret as putting
himself in readiness for an immediate encounter.

"Listen again, Tom," whispered Murray.

There was a pause, and for a few minutes nothing broke the strange
silence which reigned.

"Well?" whispered the middy impatiently.

"Well, sir, I can't make nothing of it," replied the sailor.

"Not so loud, Tom."

"All right, sir, but I don't think that was much of a pig's whisper."

"Oh, nonsense! What do you make of it now?"

"Nowt, sir, only as we've got ourselves into a great hobble. I can't
hear nothing of our chaps."

"No; they've gone on, and we must overtake them and let Mr Anderson
know that Roberts and Titely have lost their way, and have doubled back
so that we have met them."

"Ay, ay, sir, that's the way; but how are we going to do it?"

"You take Titely by the arm, and I'll hurry on Mr Roberts. Let's start
at once."

"Right, sir. Which way?"

"Follow Mr Anderson's track at once."

"Yes, sir, of course; but which way's that?"

"Why, you don't mean to say you've lost touch, Tom?" said Murray
excitedly.

"Nay, sir, I arn't had nothing to touch lately. I s'pose I've turned
stoopid through coming upon them two so sudden. But just you start me,
sir, and then I shall go on as steady and reg'lar as can be."

"Tom!" groaned Murray.

"Ay, ay, sir! Which way?"

Murray uttered a gasp as he stood trying to pierce the darkness, turning
slowly in different directions the while.

"Ready, sir," said the sailor. "I've got hold of Bill Titely, sir,
quite tightly too," added the man, with a low chuck