hoy! Mine friends! Are you zere?" came in the guttural tones of the
Dutchman.

"Fire on them," shouted Dick, levelling his revolver again and sending a
shot into the group. "Fire, Meinheer! Drive them off. Mr Pepson is
badly wounded."

An instant later the nose of the steam launch shot into view, some fifty
yards from the bank, and Dick caught a glimpse between the leaves of the
big tree which sheltered him of the anxious face of Johnnie, peering
from over the engine-well, and of the portly figure of the Dutchman, a
portion of which was hidden by the cabin aft. He stood there prominent
in the rays of the moon, a rifle in his hands, and his short sword
attached to his side. Then, as his eye lit again on the group of
natives, he lifted the weapon, and hardly had the report of Dick's
revolver died down when there was a flash, and the half-caste who had
formerly robbed our hero, and who had now made such an artful attack
upon the boats of the expedition, clapped his hand to his thigh and gave
vent to a loud bellow. Then he turned and fired a shot at the Dutchman,
a shot which flew past in the air, screaming and hissing towards the
opposite bank of the river. But long before it could have reached that
destination the robber had swung round on his heel, and with a shout of
defiance had raced for the shadows. After him Dick sent the remainder
of his magazine, while Meinheer Van Somering, when he had recovered from
the consternation into which the shriek of the shot had thrown him,
followed his example, much to our hero's trepidation, for the bullets
flew on either hand, cutting a shower of leaves from the trees.

"Steady, Meinheer!" he shouted. "You will be hitting us soon. We are
here under the tree. I had to seek shelter from the light, for they
would have picked us off easily. Bring the launch in and I will wade
out to you. I fear that Mr Pepson is seriously hurt."

Leaping overboard he pushed the boat clear of the tree and of the
shadow, and soon had it alongside the launch, for the latter steamed
gently into the shallows. Then the leader of the expedition was lifted
aboard, the two boats were made fast to the stern of the steamer, and
they pushed out into the stream.

"Better make for the far shore," said Dick. "Then we shall not be
treated to long shots."

"Bud zese wicked robbers, Meinheer," gasped the Dutchman. "Shall we led
zem go free? Shall zey escape?"

"We can do nothing more," was Dick'