lt across the road. Yell out 'don't leave me.' They won't touch
you--they're after me--I've got the stuff. When they're well away, get
back to the car. Get in. Can you drive her?"

"Yes, it's a Seely-Thompson."

"Get her round, head to the rise, ready to pick me up. Got it?"

"Yes," said Amaryllis.

From the car came a queer animal cry. The machine shot suddenly forward.

Deceived by the immobility of the waiting pair, the driver had increased
his pace.

"Run!" said Dick, and Amaryllis leapt the ditch at the roadside and ran
in the direction he had given. He followed clumsily, exaggerating his
lameness.

The car shot by them, as they ran obliquely in the opposite direction,
so adding, before the driver could pull up, a hundred yards to their
start.

It was, therefore, not until Amaryllis was at the rise of the ridge that
they heard behind them the two pairs of feet in pursuit.

"Down!" said Dick, close behind her; and with a well simulated shriek of
pain, the girl fell in a heap.

"Oh, my foot!" she cried.

Dick's chief fear was that shooting should begin too soon.

But he heard Melchard's high voice shouting angrily to Mut-mut in his
own tongue.

"Jagun pakai snapong. Brenkali akau mow pukul sama prempuan."

And Dick smiled, turning his head in time to see Mut-mut tuck away his
revolver.

He leaned over Amaryllis, with pretence of trying to pull her to her
feet.

"All right. It works. He's telling Crop-ear not to shoot, 'fear of
hitting you."

Amaryllis pushed his hands away, clutched her ankle and moaned aloud.

Dick turned from her and, at a better pace than before, hobbled across
the road, pursued by entreaties from Amaryllis so agonized and lifelike
as almost to deceive the very author of the scheme.

As he began, with increased appearance of lameness to labour up the
slope, he once more heard Melchard's voice:

"Jagun pakai snapong, kalau dea ta mow lepas. Kita mow dapat."

Labouring still more, Dick glanced behind him and saw the two pursuers
straining every nerve to overtake him, and for the moment giving no
thought to Amaryllis.

Something more Melchard said, but this time Dick could not catch the
order. Mut-mut, however, interpreted, by altering his course and running
along the foot of the ridge towards a place where the ascent appeared
less steep. By this, it seemed, he intended to cut across Dick's line of
flight, and to drive him back upon Melchard.

Melchard, meantime, was to