remembered a spot on some hilly ground, where the rocks cropped up in a
curious fashion, and Charley had observed to me at the time that it was
very like a fortress. It was still some miles off, but we determined to
make for it as fast as we could go, and there take up our position.
Listening attentively, we could occasionally catch the sound of our
pursuers' voices coming from a considerable distance, showing that we
had got a good way ahead of them, while the light of the moon enabled us
to see our way. It was very rugged, now up hills, now down into
valleys, though generally through thick woods, when the darkness
rendered our progress still more difficult. All the time we dreaded
lest some of the more nimble of our enemies might, by cutting across the
country, get on our flanks and attack us with their spears, or send a
flight of arrows amongst us from behind the trees. There was a chance,
too, of our meeting with elephants, which might obstruct the road, or a
leopard might spring out upon us. We were all well aware of the dangers
to be encountered, but no less resolved were we to face them boldly.
Charley and Harry kept calling to me every now and then, to ascertain
that we were keeping up with them. The way in which we marched
encouraged our black companions, and prevented any of the more
faint-hearted among them from deserting. Indeed, it would have been
folly in them had they done so, for they would to a certainty have been
discovered and slaughtered.

At length we reached the hill where we had determined to make a stand,
for we were so knocked up by this time, that we could not have proceeded
further without rest. It was exactly the sort of place we had expected
to find, a collection of rocks forming almost a circle, somewhat
resembling the remains of Druidical temples in England. The space where
there was no rock was occupied by trees, which would serve as shelter
should we be surrounded. We hurried in among the rocks. Our first care
was to examine the opening, and the spot where each of us should stand,
and then to place our black allies between us. This done, we looked
about to try and discover any broken pieces of timber or loose rock,
with which we might still further fortify our position. Neither Sanga
Tanga nor Ombay were likely to be thirsting for our blood--whatever some
of their people might do, whose friends we had killed--their object
being rather to recover us and keep us in slavery, to