tongue of Ahm, the Bolu, who had been held a prisoner at the

fort; "permit us to pass in peace. We will not harm you."

At this the hatchet-men set up a great jabbering with much

laughter, loud and boisterous. "No," shouted one, "you will not

harm us, for we shall kill you. Come! We kill! We kill!"

And with hideous shouts they charged down upon the Europeans.

"Sinclair, you may fire," said Bradley quietly." Pick off

the leader. Can't waste ammunition."

The Englishman raised his piece to his shoulder and took quick

aim at the breast of the yelling savage leaping toward them.

Directly behind the leader came another hatchet-man, and with the

report of Sinclair's rifle both warriors lunged forward in the

tall grass, pierced by the same bullet. The effect upon the rest

of the band was electrical. As one man they came to a sudden

halt, wheeled to the east and dashed into the jungle, where the

men could hear them forcing their way in an effort to put as much

distance as possible between themselves and the authors of this

new and frightful noise that killed warriors at a great distance.

Both the savages were dead when Bradley approached to examine

them, and as the Europeans gathered around, other eyes were bent

upon them with greater curiosity than they displayed for the

victim of Sinclair's bullet. When the party again took up the

march around the southern end of the pool the owner of the eyes

followed them--large, round eyes, almost expressionless except

for a certain cold cruelty which glinted malignly from under

their pale gray irises.

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