Noon found them but a few
miles inland. They halted for a brief rest then, and after
pushing on for a short distance further one of the men
discovered a well-marked trail.
It was an old elephant track, and D'Arnot after consulting
with Professor Porter and Clayton decided to follow it.
The path wound through the jungle in a northeasterly
direction, and along it the column moved in single file.
Lieutenant D'Arnot was in the lead and moving at a quick
pace, for the trail was comparatively open. Immediately
behind him came Professor Porter, but as he could not keep
pace with the younger man D'Arnot was a hundred yards in
advance when suddenly a half dozen black warriors arose
about him.
D'Arnot gave a warning shout to his column as the blacks
closed on him, but before he could draw his revolver he had
been pinioned and dragged into the jungle.
His cry had alarmed the sailors and a dozen of them
sprang forward past Professor Porter, running up the trail to
their officer's aid.
They did not know the cause of his outcry, only that it was
a warning of danger ahead. They had rushed past the spot
where D'Arnot had been seized when a spear hurled from the
jungle transfixed one of the men, and then a volley of arrows
fell among them.
Raising their rifles they fired into the underbrush in the
direction from which the missiles had come.
By this time the balance of the party had come up, and
volley after volley was fired toward the concealed foe.
Pages:
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260