f his
artillery filled my ears as he spoke.

An unearthly yell of terror and surprise broke from the aborigines at
the sound of the heavy discharge, followed by a series of piercing
shrieks as a few stray pellets touched them.

"Make for the river, boys!" I shouted. "Get clear of the trees!"

The air was now filled with the tiny darts, and my thick pith helmet
intercepted so many of them that, as Mac said afterwards, it looked like
a miniature reed-plantation. Far on our left the deep rumble of the
river was heard, and towards it we rushed blindly, closely followed by a
yelling horde who sprang like squirrels from tree to tree.

"Where is the Captain?" roared Stewart suddenly, as we ran; and then I
noticed that there were but four of us together. Without a word we
turned and dashed back into the midst of the Sakis' camp; and there we
saw the Captain lying on his face, with his gun resting loosely at his
shoulder. A perfect inferno raged around as we reached his side, and my
companions, roused to a pitch of frenzy, fired volley after volley among
the yelping band.

"Get back, ye wretches," roared Mac; "A'll carry him masel'."

Skelton calmly picked several darts from the Captain's neck, then felt
his pulse. "He has only fainted," he said. "These darts have gone pretty
deep."

The Captain was a heavy man, but Mac gathered him in his strong arms
like a child. "Tak' ma gun, Stewart," he directed, "and see that ye dae
guid work wi' it if driven to it." Then we made a second break for the
open by the river. The whole forest seemed to be alive with Sakis now;
they yelled at us from every other tree, and shot their irritating
arrows from every sheltered clump of brushwood. Luckily the range of
their odd weapons was not extensive, and by skilful manoeuvring we
managed to save ourselves greatly, otherwise we should have been
perforated from head to foot.

When we neared the river and could see the welcome light of day shining
through the trees, our pursuers, probably deterred by our guns, grew
less enthusiastic in the chase; and when the edge of the forest was
reached they had apparently drawn off altogether.

"To think that we should hae to run like that, frae--frae monkeys!"
snorted Stewart indignantly as we halted. "It's fair disgracefu'."

The Captain slowly opened his eyes, and looked at me reproachfully.

"That chimpanzee that we didn't shoot," said he feebly, "is one of the
same family, for the brute must have