rept on,
and presently the call of birds was again heard. Then he redoubled his
caution, cutting creepers from his path as silently as possible, and
removing all broken twigs from the ground. Half an hour later he and
his men came to a sudden halt, for the darkness which had surrounded
them up to this suddenly lightened, while as if to increase their
difficulties there came the sound of more cheers, the answering yell of
hundreds of natives, and then a succession of sharp explosions which
shook the leaves. A minute later a volley of slugs screeched overhead,
stripping the boughs, and covering the little party with the debris.

"Forward!" shouted Dick, "and let the men come up on either side of me.
We will get to this clearing and turn the enemy out."

There was no time to be lost, for it was now evident that the approach
of his party had been heard by the enemy, while the sudden lifting of
the gloom showed that there was a clear space in the forest some little
way ahead, and from this no doubt the enemy were firing. Dick lost no
time therefore in pushing forward. Bent double he ran between the
creepers, jumping over fallen boughs, and slashing at every obstruction
which threatened to arrest his progress. Very soon he came to the edge
of the forest. Meanwhile the sailors were not behindhand. They gave
vent to a cheer, just to show their spirit, and then, spreading by
couples to either side, they scrambled forward, wriggling their way
through the bush.

"Lie flat!" shouted Dick, as they got into position, and a second volley
of slugs flew overhead. "Now, you can see where they are. Pick them
off, my lads. Fire about a foot below the flashes and about the same or
a little less to the right. That should get them."

At his order the men threw themselves on their faces, and wriggling
forward a few inches till they could obtain a clear glimpse of the open
space ahead, opened a heavy and well-directed fire at the flashes and
puffs of smoke which burst from a hundred points on the opposite side of
the clearing. There the jungle again commenced, though it was not so
dense, and many paths could be seen cutting their way through it.
Beyond, some distance away, the glare of a big fire could be detected,
while the smoke hung over the summit of the forest trees.

"Our men at work," Dick shouted to his companion, "and these fellows who
are firing at us are between us and our friends. We must try to drive
them away an