"Yes, my lads," cried Roberts; "make for the fort at once. Follow the
stream down to the river, and join us there. Quick! Danger!"

There was a sharp rustling sound as of men forcing their way downward on
each side of the gully, and the next minute, as the place grew lighter,
consequent upon the trees being absent for a space of about, a dozen
yards, there was the sharp whiz as of some great beetle darting across,
followed by the report of a gun, which was magnified by echoes which
died away into the distance.

"Forward!" cried Roberts. "Steady! don't make a stampede of it. Keep
to all the cover you can."

Necessary advice, for the whiz of a second roughly-made bullet, seeking
but not finding its billet, was heard, followed by a smothered report.

"I say, this is nice," said Drummond: "and you two seem to be right. I
don't like it at all."

"Well, it's not pleasant," said Roberts, smiling.

"Pleasant? No. These people may not mean war, but only sport. They're
beating this part of the valley."

"And routing us up," said Drummond, "as if we were pheasants. I say; I
wonder whether pheasants feel the same as I do when they're beginning to
be driven to the end of a spinney?"

"Don't know," said Roberts shortly; "but I'm glad we came."

"Oh! are you?" said Drummond. "Well, I'm not. A little of this sniping
goes a very long way with me."

"Ditto," said Roberts shortly. Then, aloud, "How are you getting on
there, my lads?"

"Oh, fairly, sir, and--phew! that was close!"

For a bullet whizzed by the speaker's ear.

"Keep under cover. Steady!" said the Captain; and then the cautious
descent of the steep slope--more of a passage by hands as well as feet
than a steady walk down--was kept up, and diversified in the most
unpleasant way by shots, till the rocky shallow where the stream dashed
into the main river was reached.

Here the deep gully, down which the stream ran, had grown shallower till
it debouched, with the valley on either side reduced to a dead level and
the banks only a foot or so above the surface of the rushing water,
which only reached to the officers' knees when they stepped in. But,
unfortunately, the last of the cover had been passed, and a couple of
shots reminded the party of the danger they ran.

"Here y'are, sir," cried Gedge, reaching out his hand to Bracy and
helping him out. "Oh! why ain't I got my rifle?"

"Don't talk," cried Bracy as his companions leaped, dripping,