They were coming forward, and on all sides. "Remember, what John used to tell us: it is the shots that hit which count. Fire deliberately, and keep together. Do not use your revolvers until they are close, and you cannot use the guns."

Closer and closer they came, and Muro and the men were silent. "Now, get ready! Shoot deliberately!"

The first salvo was fired. It was a staggering blow. They reloaded, while the enemy was trying to recover, and the second volley belched forth.

Then, when the execution was noticed, and they saw their people fall all about them, they charged forward in one ma.s.s, and the boys looked at each other, for a moment, and George reached over and gave Harry's hand one pressure, and then turned away and began to fire as fast as he could aim the weapon.

They were still coming on. The demons were nearly up to the log. For some reason the savages did not heed those who fell. It had not struck terror into their hearts, as the boys hoped. How would this end? The enemy was now too close to make their guns of any use. The revolvers were drawn, and the cracks from them became almost a continuous roar.

They were still coming. Soon the ammunition would be gone. The boys realized this. They were determined to die fighting, and they began to feel for their knives which must be the final act in the great tragedy.

Then they heard something louder than the cracks of their own weapons and the shrieks of the devils around them. Some one was shooting. They could see the startled faces of the savages, as they turned and swung around. The attack ceased, and Muro sprang up on the log, with a yell.

Could he be mad? The boys were stupefied. "Come on!" cried Muro. "Here is John!"

This announcement, coming at an unexpected moment, was such a reaction to the poor boys, that they could hardly raise themselves. Another volley; they could hear it now. There was another yell from the savages, and then they could be seen rushing through the brush.

The men with John ran up, and John struggled forward through the weeds.

"Are you hurt?" asked John, as he sprang to the side of the boys.

"No! no!" cried George, and he fell down, overcome with the excitement, while Harry could not speak for a moment.

"That was a close call," said John. "We heard the first shots an hour ago, and we turned to take this direction. Then we heard nothing for a long time, and as we were coming over the hill beyond the firing commenced but we could see nothing, so we hurried forward and soon saw the smoke, and then the savages coming from the bush, and directly to the east we noticed fifty or more coming this way, but they are not here yet."

"I wonder how many attacked us?" asked George.

"It is difficult to tell, but it is safe to say that there were at least two hundred in the fight. Oh, no; the boys will not follow them up very far," said John, as Harry looked apprehensively toward the direction that John's men were going.

He blew the whistle, and gradually the men straggled in, reporting that the savages appeared terror-stricken, as they had had no idea that there was another force in the neighborhood, and they did not stop to consider the possible number.

"I am sorry for these poor people," remarked John. "We must hunt up the wounded."

Searchers were set to work, and the wounded, when found, were carried to an open place beyond, and their hurts examined and bandaged. At first terror showed itself on their faces, but as John and Muro, together with the boys, washed their wounds, and wrapped bandages around the limbs, they lay there and marveled at the actions of their enemies.

More than two dozen had been killed, and forty-two wounded, nearly all in the legs or bodies, those having arm wounds being enabled to get away.

On Muro's orders a watch was set on the movements of the savages, and from time to time reports were brought in concerning them. They had retreated eastwardly, and were now off less than a half mile, where they were a.s.sembled, and evidently debating the situation.

John and Muro well knew that their present force, now numbering forty-one, and all well armed, would be more than a match for the savage force, still, it would not be advisable to prolong the explorations for the day, as it was desirable to report the situation of affairs to the Professor.

After making the sufferers comfortable they started on the march back to the ship. During the period while caring for the wounded, John and Muro tried to engage the savages in conversation but all attempts to learn their language failed, and, as they were about to leave, John said to Muro:

"Do you think that man is a chief?"

"I know he is; I spotted him from the first, and saw from his actions, and the fact of his being obeyed, that he was a man of some authority."

"I agree with you," said Uraso, "that he is the one we must take with us."

A litter was quickly improvised and the savage gently laid on, and with this, as their only enc.u.mbrance, they started for the return march. Five of the men had been wounded, all in the arms and body, and none of them dangerously, so that there was no trouble in the march.

They filed out to the west, avoiding as much exposure as possible.

Muro's men had been on the observing line, and at Muro's suggestion they occasionally showed themselves, so as to a.s.sure the natives that they were still holding their ground.

As the two forces were starting for the ship, Muro prepared a decoy, so that the savages could see what appeared to be two figures. Then he hurriedly told John what he had done, and the march began, as rapidly as possible, at first, and a rear guard was provided to watch the movements of their enemies.

Two miles beyond the scene of the fight the party halted, and George was a.s.sisted to climb a tree, from which point they might be seen.

"I can see them plainly," he called down. "They are now around the wounded. I cannot see what they are doing, but there is a big crowd."

He waited for some time, and then cried out: "I believe they are coming this way. I think it is time for us to be moving." And George slipped down, as John gave the order to go on.

The rear guard, with John and Uraso, were now following up behind the marchers. "Go on, without stopping," he said, as they took up their positions.

The boys begged to be permitted to remain with the rear guard, but John refused to have them exposed. In an hour and a half they ascended an elevation from which the ship could be seen in the bay to the southwest.

During that time only once had the runner returned from John to notify them of the progress of the natives. The last information, therefore, was about a half hour before, and it was now obvious that the savages were determined to follow them up, and this would bring them within view of the vessel.

Before descending the last declivity that led to the beach, John and the Chief appeared, and told the boys that all of the tribe was behind them, and that the cause of the pursuit was, unquestionably, to recover the Chief who had been taken along.

At the suggestion of John three shots were fired to attract the attention of those on the boat, while several of the fleetest runners speeded down the beach and quickly advised the Professor of the situation.

Two boat loads of warriors were quickly sent to sh.o.r.e, and when John and the party with him came up to the beach, the savages had reached the crest of the hill, and ranged up in line, but halted to witness the spectacle before them.

The wounded chief was taken to the vessel, and the Professor immediately gave him the best care, but he remarked: "This man is desperately wounded, and will require the best of attention to enable him to pull through."

All the men were finally placed on board, and their experiences related.

An immediate consultation was held. John and the boys insisted on remaining with a sufficient force to enable them to carry out their explorations, but the Professor seemed to oppose it.

"I quite agree with you that, from what John has said, there are reasons aside from the cannibals over there, why we should explore it from one end to the other."

The boys cast a side glance at John. Did John find something that made him so insistent to remain? They repressed their curiosity, however, for the time. To their minds they thought the natives were the incentive, notwithstanding the terrible fight they had just engaged in, although they were willing to take the risk.

But it was finally settled. John was to have the force now on board, and he, with the boys, was to explore, and, if need be, to conquer the natives on the island. The _Pioneer_ would, in the meantime, sail to Wonder Island, and return with food and ammunition, and reinforcements.

There was thus left at their disposal fifty-five men, with a fair supply of ammunition. Uraso and Muro were to be of the party, as events just related showed that there was serious work to do before they might be able to return.

That night, while making the final arrangements on the vessel, the boys sought John, and asked him more particularly concerning his trip.

"We have had no opportunity to speak to you, but the Professor said you had learned enough about the island to determine you to explore it fully," said George.

"That is true. I have found what I believe to be the identical spot described in the charts, and I have found the solution, I think, of Walter's note and of the skull."

This was, indeed, something of importance to them, but John informed them that for certain reasons it might be better to defer the explanation until they had made the final explorations.

The boys knew he must have some pretty good reason for thus explaining and laying the matter before them, and they forebore further questionings.

The next morning, when all the supplies and ammunition had been taken off, and the final good-byes were said, the party stood on the sh.o.r.e while the _Pioneer_ slowly moved out, and was soon racing before the wind on its way to Wonder Island.

A council was held before they attempted to march into the interior. "I have every reason to believe that the band which we met yesterday is in the immediate vicinity, and that they have been watching our movements,"