and Harry, unaccustomed to running in sand, moved but slowly, and
the savages gradually began to overhaul them. They were not far from
the caves by this time, however, and presently they gained the entrance
to one of them some fifty yards ahead of their pursuers.

As soon as they were safely inside, Roger turned, and, raising the
musket to his shoulder, discharged the piece point-blank into the midst
of the nearest group of running savages.

It was a lucky discharge, and the extra bullets that they had put in,
scattering as they flew, had almost the effect of a round of grape-shot,
dropping no fewer than four of the blacks. It did not check their rush,
however, and there was no time to reload before the howling, yelling mob
were upon them.

Roger and Harry had at once taken up positions, one on each side of the
entrance to the cave, allowing themselves sufficient room to avoid
striking each other with the blades of their long swords, which, with
the now useless musket, were all the weapons they had.

The savages came at them with a rush, stabbing furiously with their
spears, and forced on by those behind, who feared to use their bows and
arrows at such close quarters lest they should hit their companions.

The long sword-blades, however, rose and fell untiringly, flashing in
the sunlight, now parrying a spear-thrust, and anon making a sweeping
cut, and with every blow at least one savage had cause to regret his
temerity.

The natives, however, had numbers on their side, the sound replacing the
fallen until quite a heap of dead and wounded began to grow at the
entrance to the cave.

They were likewise growing chary of those long blades of steel that
hewed through shield and spear-haft as though they had been paper.

At length one of the natives stooped down and picked up the dead body of
a fallen comrade, held it before him as a shield, and rushed toward the
defenders of the cave, and as Harry thrust at him he flung the body full
upon the sword's point, where it remained impaled, dragging Harry's
weapon from his grip. The man then lunged savagely with his spear, but
Roger's wary eye was on him, and the fraction of a second before the
spear left the fellow's grasp the sword flashed and fell, and the savage
stood looking stupidly for a moment at the arm still grasping the spear,
that had fallen at his feet, ere he himself sank, groaning, to the
ground.

Harry shouted his thanks across to Roger, and drew his sw