Evening star., 1926-11-28

the fly and let it drop on the police.
BY the time they Crawled out the boys
were gone"
TUERE wasn't anything 10 do but
Il sit down and eat breakfast and
discuss our next move. We had fir
ished with the oatmeal when perteC'
bedlam OF noise broke out on the
mountainside. and when We reached
the gate II was 10 see our cavr,e:S
coming back at Il far more rapid gar
than they had departed.
For coastal boys. accustomed onfy 70
fiat ground. they were showing re
marka BILE speed up steep incline. "A
they drew nearer, we could hear their
gasps. and their faces were terror
stricken.
And we'll they might be frightened.
for Swarming a bare so yards behind
them came the mountain men. brand
ishing their weapons and giving ven
to the most bloodcurdling cries.
The police dashed out with us and
got between the carriers and their
pursuers. The mountain men stop-
ped when they saw us lined up 1t Is
doubtful If they knew what our rifles
and revolvers were. but there was one
man with them who did.
1t was the Maipa villager who had
held such an earnest Confab with their
chiefs the night before. lie came for
ward to US now and he was Laughing.
as If at some joke.
Master" he cried, 'I heard The
carriers say they were going. and /
planned with the mountain men t.
frighten them and make them com"
back"
The savages had come up now. ana
they. too, grinned overwhelmingly. 5"
we laughed with them and went back
to our interrupted breakfast. The car
riers were quite chastened and So
about putting their loads together II
Il meek and repentant manner.
II was hot. fatiguing travel. am
when we came 10 = cool little creek
little while later. and halted for th'
noon meal, Downing and ] could mo-
resist the chance TO bathe. So We
moved upstream out of sight of IL"
carriers, stripped off our clothing am
waded out into the water.
AS usual, our orderlies had followed
at our heels and now sat on the bank.
laughing as we duCked each other IL
the refreshing water. Their rifles wer"
across their knees ready for instant
use.
l was facing Downing, and he had
just replied to some sally on my par
when l saw his jaw drop and look
of horror come into his eyes.
Turning to look in the direction h.
was gazing I, too, was transftXed-
Peering out at us from the bushes a.
the waters edge were "a dozen or NOR
savageS, and their arms were drawn
back to release their barbed poisoned
arrows.
We were in a tight fix. Downinc
and / were several yards away from
our weapons on the bank. The rifle
carried by the police were old single
shot affairs. That meant that we had
only two bullets with which 10 start
the battle. if one developed.
If we actually were in danger. ii
was a pig that saved us. The little
band which had surprised us was part
of village hunting party that had
chased the pig thus far. The Others
were deeper in the jungle and wholly
unaware that our big party was or
their mountain.
AT the precise moment when W.
were fully prepared for a shower OF
arrows, the pig broke out of the brush
and came into the open on the creek
bank.
1t may have been inspiration on the
part of Policeman Dengo. II may
have been his mountain blood was
stirred By the sight of Il wild pig III
fight. Whatever the reason, he threw
his rifle to his shoulder and fired The
bullet knocked the pig over, and il
lay on it's side. kicking in its deati
struggles.
In that rocky creek bottom the ~
port of the heavy weapon was terrific
That and the flash of the rifle threw :.
scare into our unwelCome visitors and
their arms dropped to their sides.
1t was a God given opportunity, and
Downing and | scrambled out upon
the bank and grabbed our revolvers
The odds had turned in our favor now
for we threw ourselves behind Il great
boulder. Then Humphries and the
other police came charging up and the
savages fed.
tConvright lao61