, possibly the
slave-dealers might have taken their departure inland; but Gerald,
forgetting the danger they were in, could not resist jumping up on the
top of the rock, and shouting out in a tone of derision at their foes.
Tom, seeing the Arabs about to take aim at him, pulled him down just at
the moment that a whole volley of shot came whizzing through the air.

"You may fire away as much as you like," cried Desmond, "but you won't
hurt us."

Though it would have given the Arabs infinite satisfaction to cut the
throats of the whole of the party, they still hesitated to run the risk
of being shot themselves at close quarters, probably supposing that the
English were better armed than was the case. Tom watched all their
movements through his glass. At length the chief of the slave-dealers,
who had gone off to the dhows, returned on shore with several
companions. Tom saw the others apparently telling him what had
occurred. He appeared to be addressing them and working them up to
mount the hill, then, waving his crooked sword, he led them on towards
the only path by which they could ascend, they following, shouting and
shrieking out vows of defiance.

"They're coming," cried Gerald; "there's no mistake about it this time."

"Well, then, you take one pistol and I'll take another," said Tom, "and
as they get near enough we must pick off the leaders. Tim Nolan and the
other fellows must manage the rest, after they have fired their muskets,
with their cutlasses; and I've no fear but we shall give a very good
account of the whole party." Tom directed the men where to post
themselves, so that they could remain concealed behind the rocks till it
was time to spring out and meet the enemy hand to hand.

"That chief, or whatever he calls himself, seems a bold fellow,"
observed Tom, "for he keeps ahead and seems to be encouraging his
followers, who wouldn't, without him, have had any stomach for the
fight. We must do our best to try and pick him off, and if we can
manage to give him his quietus, the rest will very quickly run away."

The path made by the signal party was so narrow that there was not room
for two people abreast; some little way down, however, there was a sort
of platform, on which a considerable number could collect together. "If
we could stop them before they get up there," observed Tom, "we should
have only one at a time to handle, whereas if they manage to assemble at
that place, they might pepper us